#otp: let's just be alive for a while

[the-silver-chronicles]

Siblings Q&A | Silva & Elsa Omar ONESHOT

Tagged by @raresbaby and @inafieldofdaisies

Tagging @voidika @icecutioner @socially-awkward-skeleton @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @direwombat @strangefable @strafethesesinners @rhettsabbott @josephseedismyfather @josephslittledeputy @imogenkol @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @cassietrn @carlosoliveiraa @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @aceghosts @turbo-virgins @shellibisshe @deputy-morgan-malone @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @sleepyconfusedpotato @titiagls @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @thesingularityseries and @nightwingshero + anyone else who wants to join. Taglist here.

Hey guys, SimpleGenius here! Decided to turn this short Q&A into a legitimate Oneshot for The Silver Chronicles, involving two OCs of mine; Silva and her younger half-sister, Elsa, set in a time in Hope County where Silva had no knowledge of Eden's Gate and the Omar's experienced a time of normalcy. There should be nothing but fluff, yes-siree. Oneshot below the cut:

The buzz of the worn-out camcorder complimented the numbing visuals of the frozen static, but swiftly the unused device booted up.

The specter on the screen was both haunting and ethereal, a memory from a time so much simpler. A normality so sparse in time.

With her trusty camcorder in hand, Elsa admired herself in the mirror. Hair twisted in many small blonde braids, wearing a white sundress laced with magenta patterns that looked like flowers.

The camcorder fizzled, the screen going blank for a moment. She gave it a good whack, faded red paint dusting her black gloves, and the camcorder proceeded to work like normal.

Elsa carried the camcorder away from the mirror, passing through into a lounge. Her hermana, dressed in a yellow flannel and black jeans, her dark hair flowing past her shoulders, seated on their couch having a cup of coffee.

"You ready, Sylvie?" Elsa asked, shuffling cards out of frame. Sylvester placed her cup onto the coffee table, laced gloves fixing creases on a dress she's not wearing. Realizing this, she stops the action and awkwardly cups her knees.

"Si, uh, seguro," Sylvester muttered out, clearing her throat, "How does this work?"

"Essentially, from what Rae-Rae told me, this is a fun little game where siblings answer questions for that net-work mambo-jumbo," Elsa explained, and again shuffled the flash cards she prepared.

"And since we're both sane enough to not invite people to put their noses into where they don't belong, I thought maybe, instead of doing this for strangers, we do it for Persephone," Elsa elaborates further.

Sylvester blinks, grey eyes staring at her younger hermana like a doe caught in headlights. She tilts her head, her right cheek sunk in, chewing her inner cheek.

"Elsa, she's una," Sylvester points out.

"Yeah, I know that," Elsa sighs, understanding but exasperated, "But she won't be for long. When she's older, we can show her this. Let her get to know her mamá and tía some more."

Sylvester's lips didn't quite frown, but she wasn't unconvinced either. "Derecha," she nodded, still wrapping her head around the camcorder's functions.

Elsa was likely grinning behind the camcorder, "Exactly! Now, to make this a bit more fun, I shuffled the questions out of order. Now let's begin."

Elsa showed the flash cards, the shuffle complete, and flipped over the first one.

"Question 19: Who has the worst ideas?" Elsa asked aloud.

Sylvester snorted, uncharacteristic of the person she's supposed to be, a small teasing smile on her healing chapped lips, "Well we both know who that is."

Elsa let out an exaggerated gasp, feigned offense, "Why Sylvie, I am but a respectable, humble and pious shopkeeper. Do you insinuate that I am anything but?"

"Bold words coming from the local daredevil who likes to worry her hermana to near-death," Sylvester retorts, arms crossed.

"...I'm guessing Rae-Rae snitched about my escapes on her roof?"

Sylvester had no need to answer, though Elsa must have seen that she had nothing to worry over, as Sylvester's smile held only amusement.

"Next question," Elsa declared, moving on, "Number 7: Most stable romantic life?"

Both wondered briefly, and Elsa states, "I gotta give this one to you Sylvie. You managed one relationship with Irene far longer than any ones I've had in our time here."

Sylvester narrows her eyes at Elsa, raising a quizzical brow, "Is that so? You and Ezekiel were like two peas in a pod every time you both talked with each other."

"That was brief, and we weren't official. Just some one-upping through flirtation. And he had been a real jerk at first, remember? At least you and Irene had a better start," Elsa deflects, waving a hand onscreen as she desperately denied her hermana's accusations.

Sylvester merely nods her head in feigned agreement as Elsa brings out the next question.

"Question 12: Best memory together?"

Sylvester leaned back on the couch, looking up for a moment. With Sylvester pondering which memory she liked the most, Elsa already found one.

"I'd say buying this residence," Elsa admits, "A place we can forever call our home. Wouldn't you agree?"

Sylvester looked to Elsa, and gave a short nod, "Si, it is up there. But... I'd say my favorite would be when it first rained. Just... playing and dancing like kids do... like we should have been allowed to do."

Elsa must have sensed the solemness in her voice, and replied, "At least we got to do it."

Sylvester hummed, appreciative of that fact.

"Question 15: Would you rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?"

Sylvester was immediate in her response, "Not shower for a month, obviously. We can just bathe in baths instead."

Elsa laughed, cheerful and loud, "Never thought you'd be the one to take advantage of a loophole Sylvie."

Sylvester smile wholeheartedly, grey eyes sincere as she admitted, "I learned the best from my crafty little hermana."

"Aww," Elsa lightheartedly cooed, and proceeded forward, "Question 5: Who sleeps the most?"

Sylvester raised her hand, "Mother of one very curious and fussy niñita, right here."

"No arguments there," Elsa replied, "Question 14: Dream trip together?"

In a moment of synchronized thought between hermanas, they both state, "Spain."

"Question 16: Who's the older one?"

Sylvester raised her hand once again. Elsa flipped to the next flash card, "Question 10: Who had a weird phase?"

Both pondered for a moment, trying to think of any moment in their lives of such a phase.

"I don't think we were ever given a chance to do so," Elsa states. Sylvester hummed in agreement, shaking her head in confirmation.

"Alright then! Question 6..."

Elsa paused, reading the flash card: 'Who's Mom and Dad's favorite? (If there is one?)'

Sylvester waits, worry building in her gut, and asks, "What's the question?"

Elsa hesitated, but responded, "Who's.... mo- ahem, father's favorite..."

Sylvester briefly gaped, but recovered, stating, "Well, we both know the answer to that question is neither of us."

Elsa hummed, throwing the card away as she proceeded with the next one, "Question 18: Role Model? Mine's you, of course. But who's yours Sylvie?"

"I'd have to say Paul," Sylvester mustered out, clearing her throat, "He saved me after all. Raised me. Gave me something that we were denied."

"I wish I got to meet him," Elsa admits, "From what you told me, he was funny and dramatic."

Sylvester smiled at Elsa's words, "You two would have adored each other."

Allowing Sylvester a moment to keep herself together, Elsa proceeded to the next card, "Question 3: Who eats the most?"

She raised her hand this time, the various rings displayed for the camcorder to catch, "That'd be me! Speaking of which..."

Sylvester cringed, swiftly adding, "I had a sandwich earlier."

But Elsa was not deterred, "While that's good, you skipped breakfast nor have you had any fruits or snacks prior to lunch."

"I'll have something later," Sylvester flimsily promised. Elsa, not satisfied, retorts, "I'll hold you to that."

"Question 8: Worst habit of each one?"

Sylvester sighed, "Well, you already know mine. Though your recklessness is concerning considering your condition Elsa."

"I'm not made of glass, Sylvie."

"Elsa, your bones are brittle and break easily."

"...Okay I'm a little like glass, but I'm not stupid. I can take care of myself. I know what I'm doing when I climb a tree, or go bungee jumping or help Rae-Rae around her farm," Elsa defends. Her hermana replies, "I... I know that Elsa, but even so, you've been seeking out riskier and riskier thrills lately, and I can't... help but worry."

"I appreciate it," Elsa assures, and adds, "But you worry way too often."

Sylvester doesn't argue, and Elsa takes advantage of the momentary silence, "Question 4: Who has been on the weirdest situations?"

Neither hermana could think of either one being in a "weird" situation. Sylvester opted to gesture to Elsa, "Well, given your escapades so far, I vote you."

Elsa huffed, "Seeking thrill is not the same as getting stuck in chance and strange situations."

"And how likely am I going to be in such situations?"

Elsa mumbles, indistinctly playful, and moves on, "Question 20: A GIANT insect is on the wall, who's taking care of it?"

Sylvester raises a brow, "Whoever finds it first."

"Pfft, a bug ain't that scary," Elsa comments, "Question 17: Describe each other in three words."

Elsa and Sylvester held gaze for a moment blurted out their answer.

"My badass worrywart-hermana." "Daring little hermana."

There was a silent beat before both responded to such descriptions.

"Surely that is four words, Elsa," Sylvester argued, but Elsa interrupted with her pointer finger as she replied, "Ah, but you forget my lovely older hermana, the power a hyphen holds."

Sylvester shook her head in disbelief, but did not debate further as Elsa brought forth the next question, "Question 1: Who looks the... ah mierda, another one?"

'Who looks the most like dad?' the question read.

"Is it another relating to... him?" Sylvester tested, her lips pursed in a thin line, her voice softer and quieter than normal. Her grey eyes dulled, hands clenched into her jeans.

Elsa sighs, a hand going out of the camcorder's view, probably to play with her blonde locks, and most likely undo a braid in the process.

"I... Do you mind if we skip this one?" Elsa asks, and Sylvester eagerly nods, much to Elsa's relief, "Question 11: Best cook of the family?"

Elsa answers before Sylvester could have a chance, "Yeah, I can't cook for shit, that's you right there, Sylvie."

Sylvester closes mouth, making no comment on Elsa's lack of culinary skill. Elsa flips the next flash card, "Question 9: Who's the most dramatic?! Why that would be me!"

Sylvester nodded with absolute certainty.

"Question 8: Worst habit of each one?"

Sylvester beat Elsa to the tea, "I got this. I'm a nagging worrywart who forgets her own needs sometimes, and you, mi querida hermana, are a crafty daredevil with a big ego that often gets you into trouble."

"Hah! Wow, you know me so well," Elsa said, flipping to the next flash card, but mentions, "However, you're wrong in your description; you're not a nagger."

Sylvester doesn't visibly react to this, but she seems to be stuck in a forlorn gaze. However, the next question snaps her out of this odd pause, and Sylvester listens attentively.

"Question 13... uh, worst memory together?"

Sylvester and Elsa pondered together, brainstorming.

"Our entire childhood was jodido and never the best," Elsa mentions. Sylvester frowns, and points out, "Si, but the run for the docks weren't any better."

Elsa couldn't not hum in agreement, and she moves on, "Last Question. Number 2: Who looks the most like mom...?"

Sylvester looks baffled as Elsa blows a raspberry, "Irrelevant. We've never met nor did we have the same mother."

Elsa throws away that flashcard out of the camcorder's view, much to Sylvester's visible annoyance.

"And... that's it. We finished the game. Yay!" Elsa lightly cheered, her camcorder focusing on Sylvester, "So... food for thought?"

Silva watched herself, younger and with so much more innocence, more hope, than she had now. The camcorder in her gloved hands was running hot, the flashing sunset-red indicating a coming end, but she could care less, holding onto the memory in her hands for as long as she could.

Sylvester chewed her inner cheek and said, "Besides two nosy ones, I'd say it was... nice?"

Elsa's mock offended gasp was as exaggerated as the younger hermana's mannerisms had always been, "Just 'nice'? This is a memorial moment for the both of us. It is evidence for Persephone to watch and rewatch for years to come."

Elsa placed the camcorder on the coffee table, and sat down next to Sylvester on the couch, a big grin spread out, pearly teeth shown. She grabs a hold of Sylvester's laced gloved hands, despite the latter's exasperation over the former's words.

"Wasn't it you who emphasized the importance of this? To immortalize ourselves through memories our family can visit decades after we're gone? Whether it be through ink, our voices or our image? You have to agree that this is quite a viable way to do that," Elsa assures Sylvester, who's doubt dissipated the longer she thought.

The camcorder began to buffer, the orange-red blinking faster, but Silva continued to watch, wanting to savoir this for as long as she could.

Sylvester's grey eyes looked to Elsa, softly asking, "Okay. But I have to ask; are you sure?"

Elsa laughed, her dimples caught by the camcorder's lens, as she says-

Nothing.

The camcorder's screen was blank, only reflecting Silva. The blinking light gone, the heat prevalent, and despite desperately pushing the power button repeatedly, Silva knew she wouldn't get those reassuring words she needed to hear. Not now. Nor ever again.

Silva's shoulders slumped, still sat down on the old wooden floor in the decrepit corpse of her home. The home she had taken care of for almost a decade. Even after her hermana's death, despite the ache for her visits. Even after Persephone's passing, though the yearning for her hija's laughter echoing in the halls hurt more and more with their absence.

And now... her residence, her home, was nothing more than a burned and decrepit husk full of dust and debris. All the memories that mattered, all the memories she held close to her, the journals, the photos, the shrines they rested under, were all tattered and ripped and frayed and singed and gone. Just gone.

And now... with exception to Silva's own visage of Elsa... the last thing of her hermana that she could have shown to her familia, could no longer function. The Collapse had reduced the resources required to charge such a small device to ash. Even if something survived, the camcorder was aged, and had some bugs.

Silva flipped the lid screen closed, clutching the little camcorder in her gloved hands, pushing it against her chest as she let out a shaky breath. The foliage that claimed her house rustled as a breeze swept past.

She shook where she sat, holding onto the pain, the knowledge that change has come and another chance away from her before she could appreciate it.

The wood creaked, and Silva didn't want to look at her amor's beautiful face, didn't want to shoulder her with more of her own pain and grief. But a dainty hand cupped her face, and Silva couldn't resist, relenting to her beloved's request.

Her tearful grey eyes connected with the warm green of Faith's. Her beloved, her esposa, her amor. Her Faith.

I am hers. And she is mine. As we both vowed.

And Silva wouldn't hide herself away from her. Couldn't. Even if she tried. How could she? They both knew the best and worst of each other. Intimately.

There was no judgement pitting them against one another anymore. Like now, there was only understanding. The grief for a present that they could no longer return to.

Silva did not resist the tears that fell across her cheeks. Nor did she push away Faith when she wrapped her arms around her. An embrace that held a strength that others underestimated about her. Both possessive and a comfort. All to tell Silva, I'm here.

Silva felt two more pairs of arms hold around her. The first was of her inventive Azriel, her grip unyielding as she buried herself into Silva's shoulder, just like she had done when she found her at age nine.

And the second came from her youngest. Her Mercy, clutching onto her with small hands, light-brown hair nuzzling into her body, perhaps not quite knowing why her madre was sad now that they were out of the bunker, but doing her best to lighten the load with her presence.

Silva placed down the old camcorder, and did her best to compensate in the embrace by wrapping her arms around her Faith and precious hijas. Her familia.

The grief was ever present, but this time, Silva would not be lost to it.

[A/n] I lied, the fluff was merely a front, there's only angst here. Well, mostly at least. Set before Old Dusk (the New Dawn WIP), with only a camcorder showing pre-Silva's Hope stuff. They probably only recently left Silva's bunker and well, Silva's obviously gonna be depressed about the state of everything. At least she has her family to keep her grounded? Also I haven't written in a while, so if it was repetitive or tone death, my bad, I've been trying to get my motivation back. Anywho, hope you enjoyed this lovely (and angsty) oneshot, and see y'all in the next one!

[phantasmatoucan]

Owl, I need all of your thoughts on Hunted. Because you offered of course.

OFC ILL GIVE U MY THOUGHTS OF LA CREATURA...

[Send Me a Character and I'll List Ask Game]

FAVORITE THING ABOUT THEM

HOW COMPASSIONATE HE CAN BE, HONESTLY I WASNT EXPECTING HIM TO BE SO EMPHATETIC WITH THE DEN IN THE DIGGING OUT TOGETHER ROUTE BUT HE INMEDIATLY FEELS BAD JUST LEAVING HER BEHIND, HE MAY WANT TO SURVIVE IN ANY WAY HE CAN BUT HE ISNT CRUEL HE JUST WANTS TO FEEL SAFE AND UNDERSTAND THAT HE DOESNT HAVE TO DO IT ALONE, THAT SAID, I ALSO LOVE HOW WHEN HES PUSHED TO A CORNER SO MUCH HE WILL FIGHT BACK, THE INSTINCT ROUTE IS SOOO COOL BUT MAN DO I FEEL BAD AS WELL FOR HUNTED, JUST GIVING IN AND ATTACK AND FIGHT BECAUSE HE DOESNT WANT TO BE PREY ANYMORE HE DOESNT WANT TO FEEL UNSAFE, HE WILL BITE AND CLAW AT WHATEVER HE NEEDS TO SO THAT HE CAN SURVIVE, LIKE A HUNTER

LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT THEM

THIS WILL BE A PATTERN BUT I ACTUALLY DONT KNOW ANYTHING THAT I WOULD DISLIKE ABOUT HUNTED....

FAVORITE LINE

"The pack is always stronger than the lone hunter." AND "But it's not alive forever. I can smell the end all around us. Sweet and empty. This is where we die. I'm going to lie down now."

BROtp

STUBBORN!!! I LOVE THEM WORKING TOGETHER SPECIALLY IN THE EYE OF THE NEDDLE, I THINK HUNTED WOULD HELP STUBBORN GET MORE AGILE ABILITIES AND BETTER WAYS TO DODGE HIS OPPONENTS AND STUBBORN WOULD TEACH HUNTED HOW TO BE MORE RESILIANT AND HOW TO THROW SOME GOOD PUNCHES

OTP

I DONT REALLY SHIP HIM WITH ANYONE, MAYBE THE DEN I THINK THEY WOULD BE CUTE, BUT I SEE THEM MORE AS BESTIES AND LIKE TO LAY NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND JUST SLEEP

NOtp

AGAIN I BARELY SHIP HIM WITH ANYBODY AND HAVENT SEEN THAT MUCH SHIP STUFF WITH HIM LMAO

RANDOM HEADCANON

FOR MY HUNTED I THINK HE IS VERY TOUCHY FEELY AS IN HE LIKES TO NUZZLE AGAINST PEOPLE HE TRUSTS [other voices] AND CAN SIT ON THEM DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH THEY LET HIM DO THAT, HE CLIMBS ON STUBBORNS BACK WHILE HES JUST CHILLING AND JUST LAYS ON HIM, WITH ANYONE ELSE THO, HE JUST SCAMPERS AWAY LMAO

UNPOPULAR OPINION

I HAVENT SEEN ONE IF THERE IS ONE LMAO

SONG I ASSOCIATE WITH THEM

REcorrection BY 猫叉Master AND FIGHT SONG BY Eve [THIS ARE MORE BY VIBES SPECIALLY THE FIRST ONE]

FAVORITE PICTURE OF THEM

I LOVE DRAWING CHEATED JUST CHILLING WITH THE OTHER VOICES 23KLM23R

[kiyomitakada]

L for the ask game

YAY i was hoping someone would ask me this for him ive been slowly going insane about this guy for a month now

favorite thing about them: varies by day but today his drastic mood swings captivate me.

[monotone] i was just sulking earlier

least favorite thing about them: i do not have one. i love when he cares so much he starts shaking when he tells aizawa not to go after ukita's dead body and i love when he cares so little that he suggests letting matsuda die to confirm that yotsuba is kira and i love when he is the worst person alive and the greatest detective alive also. walking contradiction of a moral code. i hate him. my actual least favorite thing about him is that i didn't get to kill him before light did

favorite line:

manga: "because the good guys always win :)" his smile here always kills me. it was the exact moment i was like ohhhh he's a LIAR

anime: "it'll be lonely, won't it"

musical: from the japanese version of the way things are: いいだろう死神認めよう　だが神が命を裁かない　生きるか死ぬかに意味を持たすのは人間だ. which going half by this translation is "fine then, i'll accept gods of death / but it's not god who judges your life / humans are the ones who give meaning to whether you live or die" i can't explain why i like this one so much. i just do. it is honestly more of a near sentiment than an L sentiment but something about the way he has to do an entire song to accept that shinigami are real delights me

brOTP: i already said L & misa in her post so i will provide another one. L & soichiro are fascinating to me. i like the bit where L suggests putting cameras in his house and soichiro responds with "if you're going to do it you'd better cover the whole house" i think the tension there is so interesting. soichiro has to live with the fact that L suspects light no matter what and yet keeps giving L the benefit of the doubt and even argues to aizawa that L Probably Isn't Financially Pressuring You, I'm Sure There's A Good Reason! and L has to live with the fact that he's made the father he's never had shoot his son in the head. which i don't think L feels bad for necessarily but the mechanics of that decision keep circling in my head like. why not get someone else? isn't light's dad objectively the least believable choice for mock execution purposes? why him, specifically? what buried violence does L see in that man that makes him think he is capable (and he's right!)

also L keeps using him as his moral compass which is hilarious

OTP: do i really have to say this

lawlight is actually so much harder to ship when you're manga-based sometimes i get jealous of how blatant the yaoi is in the anime. however i think the act of showing your face to the outside world for the first time for the sake of making your prime suspect possibly (not even definitely) slip up for once and inviting him to mind meld tennis while thinking about how perfect he is is definitely homosexual

…actually while i'm on this why not just lay out my manifesto right here. okay. i think a lot of people focus on light->L but take L->light for granted because of things like the foot scene which is [banging head on table] NOT IN THE MANGA BECAUSE THE WRITERS HATE ME but it's a fun challenge trying to reconstruct what L thinks of light anyway

this is subject to change but right now i think the appeal to L is that like. he's L. he's an anonymous letter. he lives in a padded empty room and/or everchanging hotel rooms. he almost always solves cases remotely. he doesn't trust people even when he says he does. and then here comes along a serial killer and for the first time in ages L is forced to actually talk to other people and physically inhabit the world and he keeps thinking about going back into seclusion but he keeps choosing to stay because he wants to observe light in person. light is his anchor to the world. a murderer is his anchor to humanity. and for some reason L is obsessed with him.

i think this kind of scares him, though not in a way that a normal person would recognize as fear. he's L. his entire life has been balancing human life as a numerical value and to do so he has to recognize when he has biases. he says out loud that he might just be going after light because he has no other suspects. he has to Understand Himself in order to understand the world around him, he has to know exactly how he is compromised

and for the first time he doesn't.

anyway this is why i think "i wanted you to be kira" was basically a confessi[i am dragged off stage]

nOTP: law/tsuda isn't exactly a notp because i can see the vision but the vast majority of content for them is fluff when what i really want is toxic sludge

random headcanon: he is transfem any-pronouns to meeee to meeeeee. the white shirt + jeans combination is due to the autism but also due to the gender dysphoria (the shirt is noted to be loose in movie side-material canon). he has not yet realized it is dysphoria. possibly he doesn't even realize it's autism i think watari just clocked him as having Unique L Condition and gave him everything he wanted accordingly

unpopular opinion: i'm going to just copy-paste a draft for this one

in my head L is 25 because that's the htr age and it makes sense considering how well established he is with interpol etc. in my heart L is 21 because i think that lets his personality and the dynamics he has with everyone else make vastly more sense and also it is the reasonable age for the teaching assistant you have a parasocial crush on to be. in my soul L is 19, lies about his age all the time, and never makes it to 20 #in my soul-of-souls he's one day older than light and internally holds this over light's head constantly #he says things like ''when i was 17…'' (<- is still 17) #but also L being 21 means you can make blackjack references and that is important to me #the house always wins or whatever

song i associate with them: man of stone is literally him to a T

I had to give it to you I was always acting cuckoo Thinking there was something That I'd actually be kinda scared-a But I will be a man of stone

favorite picture of them: picking one is absolutely impossible so i'll take this as "one of your favorites"

i like when he looks like a cryptid

[sweet-s0rr0w]

day 11 of @hprecfest - an underrated fic

with the lights off, I see you, by teatrolley - not rated, 1k, 2015

Summary: It’s funny how having another person’s fingers trail your ribs can make you forget about the hollowness of your chest for a moment. A bathroom stall with non-erasable black marker on the walls is not a place for romance, but for heavy eyelids to be shutting in something other than sorrow or exhaustion.

_________________

When a struggling Harry meets Draco in a London pub, everything might go terribly wrong. Or it might not.

Excerpt: In the beginning Draco’s fingers are ice as well, but then he buys a plant for Harry and they are green. The photosynthesising creature in the corner of Harry’s flat is kept alive mostly by Draco’s night-visits, which says something about how often they’ve become, but Harry chooses to ignore its words. Instead he lets Draco borrow a jumper one November night, and lies back and allows his kneecap to be kissed, even though kisses on body parts that are not private should be forbidden because of the implications they might lead to.

I don't love the concept of an underrated fic, because how do you measure that? Kudos, comments, recs? And even if the most well-intentioned, it sort of seems a backhanded compliment to give to someone about their fic, when they might be plenty happy with how it was received. I wasn't sure what to do, so I've picked an absolutely stunning fic from 2015 (whose author isn't in fandom) but which manages to tell such a detailed, deeply romantic story in so few beautifully chosen words. It'll sweep you away, just like Harry's swept away - gently, without fanfare - and I while I still don't know quite what underrated should or does mean, I think that this fic deserves to be read and enjoyed by everyone.

If you read it, and if especially you love it, please do let me know! And as always, please do take the time to leave the author a kudos/comment <3

day 1 - first fic you remember reading

day 2 - a fic rated G

day 3 - a fic not on ao3

day 4 - a comfort fic

day 5 - a romantic fic

day 6 - a fic for a ship you don’t normally read

day 7 - the best of your OTP

day 8 - a fic that was recced to you

day 9 - a WIP

day 10 - a fest/event fic

[davidstirlings]

Paddy & Eoin please?

Again, I'm guessing this is for the "give me a character breakdown", and, of course, I love both Paddy and Eoin

How I feel about this character

I love them both. Like, I actively adore Eoin (as much as David, I'd say), and Paddy has my heart too. Paddy is, as he says about himself, a wild dog, except he's also a deeply complex man, who has a soft side, and a dark side, and we see that Eoin keeps him on that even keel, even when he's maybe encouraging Paddy's more reckless side (I saw you grinning at your man while jumping out of that truck, Eoin McGonigal). They're a perfectly matched pair. They deserved more time together. They deserved each other. Paddy has his flaws, but he's also kind, considerate, a man with a well of emotions that he doesn't always let show, but he has these moments of tenderness, of caring (especially that scene in S2 E5 with Reg and Paddy). And now Eoin is just haunting the narrative, and haunting Paddy, and the only thing more beautiful would be if Eoin was still alive and they could be together.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I mean, as I said about David, in the SAS:RH fandom, we pretty much ship everyone with everyone else. I am personally a fan of Paddy/Eoin/David, but also Bill/Eoin is cool to see. I know a lot of people ship Paddy/Augustin, and I can see it. Also, after s2, Paddy/Bill, because oh boy, is Bill pissed with Paddy. Paddy/Reg is always a good one too. Eoin/Johnny is always an interesting one too.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

For Paddy, probably Paddy & David. Also, Paddy & Reg, because there's some kinda bond there, and I love it. For Eoin, Eoin & Bill. Would've loved to have seen them interact more.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Gotta say that in some ways I agree with what some people have said about how Paddy is portrayed, and in other ways, I disagree. Paddy was a complicated man, IRL. We know that from all of the anecdotes about it. Do I think it's overdone at times? Yes. Do I think they could've shown more of his softer, calmer side? Yes. Do I think they needed to show this darker side of him? Still yes. I think Jack is a phenomenal actor, and I can't actually imagine anyone else playing Paddy with that depth to him, with that level of complexity. Also, fuck it, I think his accent is fine, and that's probably a very unpopular opinion. Also, pretty sure I don't have an unpopular opinion about Eoin except for the fact that that man was dirty. Like, wiping his mouth on that gross undershirt. Eoin. Really. Do better. (Jk Eoin, I love you really, but also, your undershirt looked very gross).

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Eoin not dying would've been great. Yeah, that would fix everything, honestly. Paddy and Eoin kissing. Also, them riding horseback starkers would've been funny to see. And Paddy parking a Jeep in a house and no one being able to figure out how the fuck he did it. And Eoin pointing a gun at Paddy's head and threatening to shoot him, as he did IRL, because can you imagine the tension. Oh, and nice little flashbacks of Eoin and Paddy meeting. Pretty sure all of that would fix me.

[razielim]

for the character ask game... kaladin, adolin and elhokar?

wheeeeeee!

How I feel about this character

kaladin is just everything. he makes the brain go brrrrr. he's like being wrapped in my favorite fluffy blanket and patted on the head. he's so strong. ;_;

adolin is also everything but unlike kaladin, who's got a realness that's very reflective and somber, adolin is just purely wheeeeee! he opens his mouth or does anything, and i'm immediately Sufficiently Stimulated. i'm Regulated. he's perfect.

elhokar SCREAMMMMMMMMMMMMM. *explosions, helicopters, more screaming, distant but approaching gunfire, sirens* i get him. i love him.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

kaladin: probably mostly nale at this point. but also dalinar and elhokar. at any given moment i've got at least five "here's how elhokar-lives!divergence would work and kaladin/elhokar could still happen" rants in my head. also adolin when i want to keep it simple. the only m/f ship i would really enjoy to see in canon is kaleshwi, my beloved.

adolin: mostly yanagawn at this point. they are..... perfect. i love them. but also sometimes kushkam... and kushkam's son. (sorry, this is all W&T dynamics). but also kal, yeah.

elhokar: i was gonna say "just kaladin" but yeah, i get emotional about him with wit too. ;_;

My non-romantic OTP for this character

kaladin and rock and teft is something that can be so personal...

ADOLIN AND MAYA. THE WAY IT JUST KEEPS GROWING TO BE THE BIGGEST MOST BEAUTIFUL SOLDIERS' BOND AHHHHH

ugh elhokar and his son. let little gavinor spend more time with his daddy ugh ugh ugh

My unpopular opinion about this character

kaladin wants to fuck. he needs to fuck. he just can't. the stress won't let him.

adolin should have gotten the chance to figure out that he could try courting men before shallan showed up. the man def had an awakening in the chamber, perhaps we can still fire it off someday

elhokar was one of the most interesting characters in WoK, giving insight into what Jasnah must have gone through at a younger age. he was not only interesting but clearly going through something private and awful, something you absolutely wouldn't want to also be king and be expected to fire on all cylinders while going through, and many readers ignored that. we SEE shallan going through the same thing when she's got a lot less going on in her life than the responsibilities and pressures of a monarch, and look at how stressful and traumatizing that is for her. that's the whole thing in this series, you DON'T know what someone is going through. future-therapist kaladin CAN'T recognize shallan's pain until she lays it out explicitly. especially when we later learn just how uniquely unprepared elhokar was for the throne, his father having neglected grooming him for the post, intending the throne for jasnah. it's insane remembering how much navani had already given up on him when he had never been lifted up in the first place. and it's even crazier to reread WoK, see his behavior, and know WHY he's spent the last five years failing, WHY he's trying desperately to catch up, to learn and absorb, and WHY he's so vulnerable to being led around like a puppy by people who should have been guiding, building up, and protecting him, and now THIS starts to happen and he knows there's no one he can really turn to. (until kal in WoR; he turns to kal. and kal hates it but he [unwillingly and unwittingly] does what no one else did for elhokar and makes him feel safe enough and guided enough that he can finally start to grow in adversity rather than continue to wither under the pressure)

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I'm a simple man: gay, bi, alive+gay.

(i also am a man that needs to run and get stuff done and has run out of brain for this last question after the elhokar rant drained me of all i had oops)

thank you for the ask! send chars :)c

[scribeoffate]

For the character ask game, the Dane twins?

Thank you!!!!

While I definitely see the argument that they come as a set, they are also different enough that I will answer one at a time. I'm also gonna put this behind a cut, I talk about some non-con situations enough, I think, that it merits a content warning. Canon-typical, but still there.

game

Athos Dane

How I feel about this character

Athos's introduction in adsom with Beloc is largely what kept me reading the first time. I am always here for a creepy, posessive violent villain. And then his interaction with Holland? His utter delight at the getting the barest twitch? Plllleeasse. I would read an entire novel about his relationship with Holland. (Thanks to a03 I basically have.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Astrid, Holland, Kell, Lila (if by romantic you assume, "posessive")

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Astrid

My unpopular opinion about this character

I really just don't know what is and isn't popular here.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I would have liked more backstory from the Dane twins, in general. I made an argument in the comments of my villain poll that they are also just products of their environment. Athos seems a little more interested in violence in the books (see Beloc), but he and Astrid clearly had to work together to take the White London throne. Why? Was it just for power? I think some of Astrid's points later about Red London show that they had bigger plans and it would have been interesting to see some of that from Athos' pov.

Astrid Dane

How I feel about this character

You give me a beautiful, evil woman, and I'm always gonna be a little bit in love. And Astrid is no exception. She's so fun. Her intro, where she's creeping on Kell, is also really excellent.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Athos, Lila, Kell, Holland

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Athos (They are after all, a set)

My unpopular opinion about this character

Her plan in adsom is wild. Like, there are a lot of things she could have done with more chances of success than "let Kell have half of this magic stone so I can keep an eye on him and creep on him in his brother's body later". Seriously, though. Like they had both pieces? They had the amulet? They really could have just.... killed Kell after they got him drunk? Captured and cursed him then? I adore her, but ngl, despite what I often see in fic, I really hope her brother usually comes up with their plans.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish she were still alive. Though I may have recently been persuaded that this is possible. 👀 And I mean, I may also want her to get a chance at capturing Kell. She deserves nice things.

[dragonologist-phd]

For the OTP Asks:

Cleo/Galfrey: 13, 21

Piper/Arueshalae: 5, 8

Thank you!

Cleo/Galfrey:

13. Name something they would never do for the other person. 

Ooh good question!

For Galfrey, it's easy- she would never allow Cleo to put Mendev in danger, and she wouldn't be with Cleo if she genuinely thought that was a possibility. I do appreciate when companions and romances have conditions under which they'll leave, it makes them feel like much more defined characters; if Cleo had stuck to her Demon Path, Galfrey wouldn't have had the sense of trust she needed to make them work, and they would have ended up enemies. Galfrey's convictions and sense of duty to Mendev are so much a part of her that she simply wouldn't give them up or look the other way, not even for Cleo

For Cleo, it's a little more difficult, just because she's more willing to believe the ends justify the means. But Cleo is very loyal, and one thing she'd never do is give up her friends- there are times when Galfrey has misgivings about Arueshalae and Wenduag, for example, (with some doubt being a bit more justified than others), but Cleo stands by her companions and would never be the one to cut ties with them

21. How have they changed each other for the better/for the worse?

They've both gone through a lot of changes because of each other, and it took a lot of work on both their parts for the good to outweight the bad.

Because of Cleo, Galfrey got to be a person again- not a symbol or an icon, but a person. Galfrey had been numb and going through the motions for quite some time, and Cleo woke her up again. This was good in a lot of ways- she felt more alive, and her sense of purpose was reinvigorated. But it also left her feeling vulnerable and led to her acting out of fear and insecurity.

Because of Galfrey, Cleo was given a sense of responsibility she'd never had before. She had to take on a greater sense of accountability, and while she did find it satisfying to be doing more than just wandering the world as a mercenary, she also felt pressured into upholding a duty she'd never asked for.

In the end, they found a balance- Galfrey was able to let go of the rigid structure and self-sacrifice that had kept her weighed down for so long, and Cleo was able to ground herself and find more meaning in her life than aimless drifting.

Piper/Arueshalae:

5. What activities do they enjoy together?

Stargazing, people-watching, taking long walks around the city while just chatting- mostly low-key stuff, especially after the Crusades when their lives have slowed down a little. Arueshalae also loves to listen while Piper practices her music, and Piper likes to chat and keep Arueshalae company when she's working in her garden

8. What were their first impressions of each other?

They were both infatuated with each other pretty quickly! It started as straightforward attraction; Piper thought Arueshalae was beautiful and intriguing, and on top of all that she was a message from Desna! She could tell Arueshalae liked her, too, and instantly began her usual methods of flirting. She was honestly confused when Arueshalae pushed back.

Arueshalae, meanwhile, had an instant case of hero-worship upon being released from her prison, and that only magnified when Piper got her Azata powers. It all looped back around into her being terrified of what she might be tempted into, and ashamed of what Piper might think if she knew about those temptations.

Their feelings got deeper over time, as they gradually worked things out; Piper learned to slow down and be more thoughtful in how she approached Arueshalae, and Arueshalae learned to take Piper off a pedestal and trust that she wouldn't turn away. It just took a bit of fumbling to get there!

OTP Asks

[tgmsunmontue]

getting to know mutuals!

Tagged by @halestrom on main, but posting here because if people follow me on main they usually already know most of this... 🤣 (And editing to add @nimuetheseawitch and @ghostlykiss who have also since tagged me. I'm not ignoring them, promise!)

what's the origin of your blog title? Sunday - Monday - Tuesday, SunMonTue - it was a three-day period where I was meant to be working on an assignment however instead found fanfic and spent three days reading. Then I needed a username so I could create an account and subscribe and it's been me username/handle for nearly 20 years. Hence sunmontuewrites (main), and JanineSMT and sunmontue on AO3 etc etc...

otp(s) + shipname(s): Jake/Bradley, Hangster. Derek/Stiles, Sterek. Eric/Jack, Zimbits. Dave/Kurt, Kurtofsky. (Only doing fandoms I've written in... I'm generally pretty happy to read most things).

favourite colour: Purple. All shades.

song stuck in your head: Currently an acoustic cover of Simply the Best by John Adams. It's a little bit haunting.

weirdest habit/trait: I honestly have no idea?

hobbies: writing, baking, patchwork, Lego, card making... I also enjoy walking and travelling. And taking photos. And drawing. I also used to do scrapbooking and journalling.

if you work, what's your profession? I don't have a profession as such as a calling. I am the bossy/scary admin person that everyone is a little bit scared of... But I get shit done and people think I'm great at my job. (I studied science and work in engineering and my dad was a maths academic so... that provides some context I hope?)

if you could have any job you wish, what would it be? I legitimately love my job, the amount of variety is crazy, and the team I'm in is amazing, as are the students and 90% of the academics. HOWEVER I cannot wait to retire and write fulltime... still a little while away though. (Much closer for me than most of you though!)

something you're good at: I'd like to think I'm decent at most of my hobbies, I know I'm good at my job... I have KICK ASS hand writing if I do say so myself. I always get compliments on it.

something you hate: Bigots and people who are ignorant by choice. I am scared about becoming intolerant or close minded as I get older.

something you collect: Lego? I collect the Botanicals, Winter Village and also the modular buildings.

something you forget: Oof. I forget SO MUCH now (and I'm blaming the Covid x5 and perimenopause brainfog). I am very good at writing things down so I do not forget. I still sometimes forget.

what's your love language: Feeding people. If people are sad, lonely, happy, I want to make food for them.

favourite movie/show: Top Gun Maverick. I know. You're all shocked.

favourite food: Chinese. So much variety and depth of flavour I could eat nothing but Chinese food for the rest of my life and be happy.

favourite animal: Cats. At one point we had five. It was GLORIOUS.

what were you like as a child: BUSY.

favourite subject at school: Geography.

least favourite subject: Hmm. None. Yes. I was one of those annoying kids.

what's your best character trait? I try to assume people aren't trying to be dicks. Like I ask myself "could they be having a bad day?" before I let their behaviour impact mine negatively, or ruin my day. (I have to TRY really hard at this some days).

what's your worst character trait? I over think things. Also I can come across as snobbish or cold/uncaring. (But I'm just quiet and introverted in person and several of my friends have said they thought I was stand offish before they got to know me).

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? I would love to have my mum be alive.

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? Oof. Kate Sheppard probably. Although she'd likely be devasted with the current events going on in the USA.

If you do this please tag me, mutuals or not. I always like getting to know people. 🌻🌻🌻

[mandaloriankait]

Get to know your mutuals

Thanks for the tag bb @mushgloomz 💕

What's the origin of your blog title?

So blog title isn't the same as URL right? Idfk anymore. Anyway my blog title is Why am I still here and honestly I used it because I had just remade my tumblr and was like "really why am I even here" but honestly it also goes with my depressed ass being like why am I alive so yeah.

OTP(s) + shipname:

Oh god, ummmm. It's been a while tbh bc all i do is write x reader fics nowadays. If you've ever seen Critical Role, I shipped Widojest. That was the last OTP for me tbh. I can't remember more. But I'm sure @karinamay could embarrass me with some of my old ones 😂

Favourite colour:

Honestly it changes by the week. Right now it's blue.

Favourite game:

Outlast was SUCH a good horror game so that for sure. Also Mario Kart bc I'm five.

Song stuck in your head:

Pink Pony Club- Chappell Roan

Weirdest habit/trait:

How much time do you have lol. No but probably the one where if something you say reminds me of a song I HAVE to sing the song.

Hobbies:

Writing, crocheting and gardening. Am I good at any of these things? Not really.

If you work, what's your profession?

I work in IT for my university. Manage a whole Biomedical Engineering department by myself lol.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

Honestly I'd be a writer full-time. I love writing and was going to school for journalism before I realized it didn't pay well.

Something you're good at:

Literally nothing lmao

Something you're bad at:

Ummm probably time management just because of the adhd. It's bad out here y'all.

Something you love:

Singing. I can do it halfway decently so it's always fun.

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff:

Honestly it's hard for me to keep information in my head anymore because I've just got so much going on mentally rn but I used to be able to talk anybodys ear off about Marvel.

Something you hate:

My mental illnesses lmao

Something you collect:

Ummmm stickers, Grogus, and Nightmare before Christmas stuff.

Something you forget:

So much, but deadlines for one.

What's your love language?

Acts of service for sure.

Favourite movie/show:

Favorite movie is Jaws. I love sharks okay. And favorite TV show....right now it's The Pitt.

Favourite food:

Spaghetti my beloved.

Favourite animal:

Great white shark tbh

What were you like as a child?

Very quiet and very shy. See also me now.

Favourite subject at school?

Historyyyyy

Least favourite subject at school?

Ugh math for sure

What's your best character trait?

I....I honestly don't know. Hey that's something I'm kinda working on in therapy soooo yeah.

What's your worst character trait?

Probably the fact that I can hold a grudge like a motherfucker.

If you could change any detail of your day right now, what would it be?

To not be at wooooork I'm so tired let me leaaaave.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

Freddie Mercury tbh. He's so fucking cool and I love him.

Recommend one of your favourite fanfics (spread the love!):

Flex by @gothcsz . Arm! Just trust me on this okay.

I've already tagged people today so I'm not gonna tag anybody but I'd you want to, do this and tag me bc I'm a nosy bitch.

[pigdemonart]

Do you ship Fox and Krystal?? Because they were my childhood 🥺 baby's first otp yknow

hahah I do! But with a BIG asterisk. Putting it under cut for INSANE STAR FOX RAMBLINGS

* <- the big asterisk: I ship them, but like I also am okay with them not being end-game. I think their relationship could be so much bigger than that!! OK so, let me explain. When I was a kiddo I shipped them! I was a baby furry and I loooooved that there was a playable girl character in Star Fox FINALLY (though, you know that was for only a split second bhnjmk) But now, I just think the way they were both written in the games was a little boring and one-note. Also just uncomfortable at times, since her first appearance Krystal was made out to be weird kinda-fetishy, sex-appeal and not much else. I don't think that's a controversial statement though LOL Later games I don't much feel for their chemistry either, though they have cute moments here and there. The more interesting parts about them is when they're not seeing eye-to-eye and they're apart from each other, honestly. So in my drawings I was picturing something less canon and more re-imagined. Krystal is the lone survivor of her race and she's on Sauria trying to find the truth about what happened to her home planet while also aiding the local wildlife. I don't imagine the dinosaurs speaking much in my version, but Krystal is telepathic and an empath, she can read their minds well enough to talk to them and be understood. I imagine also she knows about Andross, but doesn't believe he's the reason her planet was destroyed (there's disagreements on if that is canon or not, and I think its pretty silly to blame every bad thing on the one guy.) I think it would be fun if Krystal (never being encased in a crystal because that plot was dumb) meets Fox on Sauria early on in the events of Star Fox Adventures. I mean it would have been GREAT if Krystal was his partner, instead of Tricky. Though in the drawings I included Tricky too, cuz why not? I like the dynamic of Krystal being kind towards all living creatures and Fox having to learn to keep up with that. Nature never seemed like his -thing- ya know. See I like the idea of their personalities crashing a lot at first. They are from different cultures and backgrounds, their understanding of Lylat history is different -- Fox being from Corneria means he views the war against Andross as a necessary thing, something Andross brought on himself and eventually paid for with his life, not to mention the death of his father weighs heavily on him forever. Krystal disagrees, being a firm believer that war is never the answer and the price of peace for some came at the cost of the death of others, including her own people. Like...DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH THEY WOULDN'T MIX, they are just too different and too caught up in their own life missions to really get the other's intentions. But then in spite of all that, they become friends. I think my ver. of Krystal while looking down on Fox somewhat for being a mercenary would also be intrigued by him. She would want to know how exactly this guy and his team defeated Andross, and from there know more stories about his life. Likewise, Fox being stuck on ground on Sauria with Krystal I think would open his eyes a bit more (lmao touch some grass for once) and they would at least bond with each other while also helping each other stay alive. I think they realize on their own that they each bring out good things about one another... at least at first.

In the games Krystal is pretty much assimilated into Star Fox and we don't really see how that happens or how she really feels about it. We just know she eventually breaks up with Fox and cuts ties with the rest of them, something that broke my heart when I was a kid, but I'm not super against or in disagreement with. Personally I just think her sort of beliefs and upbringing would have never lent itself well to the line of work Star Fox does, at least not so easily. It came off to me like she was a young woman caught up in a romance that felt right at first and then became bitter and unfulfilling once reality set in. And in my eyes, I think its more interesting if she becomes disillusioned with Star Fox and the Cornerian Defense Force because, put simply, Krystal isn't pro-military. And that's sad...but it's pretty raw, too. And I love my stupid children's game about furries in space being full of dark themes!! Nintendo already set the domino pieces up, I just feel like we never got to see them all come tumbling down. We were teased with possible ideas that the Cornerian army and General Pepper were morally grey and that Andross had good intentions mixed in with every totalitarian thing he did. Krystal even is the one to defend Andross in one scene in Command, which is fucking crazyyyyyyyy!!! but it doesn't GO ANYWHERE -tears hair out- But anyways, as you can see Fox X Krystal drives me insane. /pos There isn't really an ending I love or subscribe to the most from Star Fox Command. That game really just threw a lot of the fans for a loop with all the drama and "bad," not super fulfilling ends to beloved characters. Though, that being said, I lowkey like the Kursed/Krazoa arc for Krystal, I think it's like an interesting path for a character like her. Like yeah, turn this woman into a hardened butch bounty hunter!!!! why NOT!!! She'd get under his skin better than Wolf ever could!!! Plus, how often does a pairing go from friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-strangers?? Fox can't recognize the love of his life anymore because she's been fundamentally changed by the world HE introduced her to. Now they both gotta live with that with Sauria being nothing but a distant memory. It's tragic, it's messy, it can go in so many different directions and I just think these furries should yell at each other for my amusement. anyways that's all. :] i'm actually normal about them tee hee.

[ladyaldhelm]

Give Me A Character Ask:

Brida, Gisela, Skade :3

Ahhhh a three for one deal!!! Nice!!

Brida:

How I feel about this character: SHE DESERVED BETTER!!! OH MY GOD! The fandom (outside of Tumblr) hates Brida so much, and like, I get it, but at the same time, she needs to be given some grace here. She is trampled by the fandom for literally doing the same shit as Uhtred, and I hate the hypocrisy. Women characters have to be "nice" and sweet and gentle and wholesome, but she was given a shit life and being a woman it meant she had to work ten times harder just to get a basic level of respect, which she never really got.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I think that she and Uhtred were great together, and I hate how he so casually and quickly discarded her just so he could get into Alfred's good graces.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I never really thought about this... I guess having a female friend would have been good for her, so Gisela or Thyra.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I guess my opinion is unpopular outside Tumblr, but I think she deserved more respect. Uhtred should have either rescued her or killed her when she was captured by the Welsh rather than letting her be taken as a slave, which he had gone through and knew how bad it was but for a woman is a million times worse than for a man, since she (probably) was raped.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: That she had a real chance at redemption, and by that I do not mean that she suddenly became nice to people, but that she be given a stable environment to thrive and have a chance to not have to struggle all the damn time.

Gisela:

How I feel about this character: I love her! She is the perfect mix of gentleness while also not putting up with people's shit.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Uhtred

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Thyra or Brida, they could have been besties

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don't really have one?

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: That she didn't die and stayed with Uhtred so he wouldn't go off and fuck Aethelflaed.

Skade:

How I feel about this character: I honestly did not like her at all at first, but after reading some discourse about her on Tumblr I have done a 180 and now appreciate her better. Like Brida, she deserved better. She was a woman living in medieval times, in a patriarchal society where women had almost no power or influence or rights. She had to use violence just to stay alive, so people feared and respected her. Otherwise, she would just end up the wife of some shitty warlord, forced into slavery, and/or raped.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I mean she and Bloodhair were a thing so I guess him

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I don't really have any?

My unpopular opinion about this character: She is hated elsewhere but seems to be appreciated on Tumblr, so I guess my unpopular opinion is that she is an underappreciated character who people only see for her violent tendencies without understanding the reasoning behind why she does that.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I don't know.. I don't think she would have lived very long either way, and I don't think there is anything I would change about her character tbh

GIVE ME A CHARACTER ASKS

[aingeal98]

Steph for the ask game?

three facts about them from my personal headcanons

-The first woman Steph was ever attracted to was Zatanna. She didn't realise this until later on when she was dating Cass and it clicked that it hadn't just been platonic girl crush appreciation

-She did actually die. The body they put in the ground was actually Steph. Due to reality warping from various villains she ended up in Africa with Leslie who admitted that she hadn't actually let Steph die but tried everything and saw her bleed out regardless. They were both highly confused how she was alive again and they never did fully confirm why.

-She has all the autopsy scars and long lasting damage from Black Mask's torture. She used to play the piano but when she came back her fingers didn't stretch the way they used to and the first time she tried it gave her a panic attack.

a reason they suck

They were created and written by Chuck Dixon, which often meant being a part of his shitty conservative propaganda. She was more of a victim than a perpetrator most of the time, but I'd love to have modern Steph reflect on that and be like "Damn that internalized misogyny was kicking my ass sometimes huh."

a reason they are great

What if the entire narrative was stacked against you, what if your writers and editors looked down on you for being a teenage girl and treated you as nothing more than a pawn in their shitty sexist manpain stories. And what if you survived and triumphed and became loved enough to carve your own narrative. What if people have come and gone from the "family" that once excluded you maliciously but you're still here and kicking, a core part of it now. They put you in the Robin uniform as a consolation prize before killing you but you're still here and you're clawing your part in that history with everything you've got. For everyone that'll say Damian is the fourth Robin there's someone who'll reply "Actually that was Stephanie Brown."

a reason I relate to them

Being an isolated teenage girl who feels a deep anger at the injustice of the world and doesn't quite have anywhere to fit in or fully vent that anger? I was literally two bad days away from going out on the street to fight crime when I was a teen. I tend to relate to Cass more because the specific mentality and issues she have resonate strongly, but Steph also has plenty of material for me to dig into.

(what I consider to be) the top tier otp/ot3 for that character

Stephcass. It's gotta be stephcass. I could give a million reasons but I've yelled about this so much on my blog already. They bounce off each other so well, they've got the backstory and angst and complex dynamic while also being funny and cute together. The accidental romantic narrative they created is so damn good it barely needs anything to canonize it at this point.

five things that never happened to that character that I believe should have happened

A proper go at being Robin. An apology from Bruce. A discussion with Tim about what they did wrong and an apology too. A long talk with Cass after she came back from the dead with (you guessed it) an apology from Cass. Getting to talk to preboot Jason about what it means to be a sacrificial lamb to give Batman manpain and hype Tim up as the perfect Robin.

five people that character never fell in love with and why

-Dean. Even if she hadn't gotten pregnant it would have never worked out. He was simply too old and for all Steph hates herself she would have realized it eventually

-Detective Gage, for exactly the same reasons as Dean.

-Jason. He died before she came along and by the time he came back it would never cross either of their minds to be anything but purely platonic. They can bond but neither of them appeal to the other romantically.

-Kyle Mizoguchi. He's sweet and they could be something but unfortunately she's in love with Cass at this point. Like the entirety of Batgirls is just Steph and Cass being in love and not realizing it. Kyle had the wrong timing.

-Dick Grayson. The hypothetical age difference isn't a problem for Steph. But obviously, it's an issue for Dick. If she were ever to fall in love with him in an alternate universe and confess he'd be highly alarmed to find out why she thought things were possible between them. It might actually be nice for Steph to get an understanding ear and a shoulder to cry on, someone to tell her that it's not her fault and those men were wrong, but that's all. For one thing Dick is not a scumbag who creeps on young girls and for another thing that's his little brother's ex. In no universe could this ever be more than a one sided crush.

[teddybeartoji]

MICKEY YOUR RB ON THAT SMOKER!SUGU POST………. oh i need . lore . so badly

ROOMIE!SUGU BEING A SMOKER MAKES SOOO MUCH SENSE OBVIOUSLY (my heart goes out to depression era sugu and his inherent need for self-destruction 🫡) but i must know …. does he. try to get you to smoke 😳😳 does he … shotgun you……… or does he steal any cigarettes you buy with a teasing grin so you never start………. i need answers so bad misu you are my otp always

(also <3 ily!!! remember to have yourself a nice big meal if you haven’t already!!!!! <33333)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA deep breaths deep breaths...

you're out to get me fr ari you're insane i love you so much. OKEOKE OKE SO we did have a lil talk abt this already buut yeah in the misu world.. roomie!suguru definitely smokes. we have a little balcony in our apartment too so he doesn't have to like.. smoke out of a window or go down the stairs which is nice. aaand we have two little chairs outside too aand a little table and then we have a few plants too (he takes care of those i am awful with plants..) AAAND this is our regular hangout spot!!!!!!!!!! smoking or not, we like to sit there a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok now to the actual smoking lmao like i already mentioned i am not a smoker but i am not a Cigarette Virgin either so i don't have a problem if he smokes or not. i think smokers are hot and i'm not gonna lie abt he looks SO fucking good while doing it oh my god my heart is going to give out................................. so yeah i definitely grab one from him every so often bc why the fuck not. but... mostly he just shares the cig with me... sometimes he just holds it to my lips so i wouldn't get the smell on my fingers and he always holds eye-contact while doing that bc he's a fucking asshole aaand when i blow the smoke into his face to get back at him he just . grins at me.. (he's so fucking hot ari i really do think i'm gonna die if i think abt him too hard)

he isn't the biggest smoker ever though, shoko definitely does it more than him. buuuut he does always want at least one after a long day and i think that's more than fine (i am drooling rn). oh aaand whenever we're hanging out with satoru and shoko and they go out for a smoke i mostly stay with satoru lmao this is important ok me and him are very very very good friends in this au i baby him i tease him we get along so well that it makes suguru a little jealous and then shoko gets to tease him abt that😭😭😭

liike suguru's just leaning against the balcony railing while shoko sits on one of the stairs and he's just . looking at me and satoru laughing together inside and shoko thinks it's the funniest thing ever hgashdgghsahdghgsa AAAAAAAAND when they come back inside, he always plops onto the couch right beside me (like awfully close) and then puts his arm behind me on the backrest and he thinks he's. smooth lmao pls everybody INCLUDING ME knows what he's doing😭😭😭

mm i don't carry around any cigs but i do always have a lighter with me and while it is very hot when he lights his own cigs.. he lets me do it a lot too and this is also smth that makes me fucking dizzy bc he leans in so close and then holds onto my hand so it wouldn't shake and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH i hate him i love him i need to punch him i need to kiss him he's awful he's sexy he's the worst man alive

he definitely smokes weed sometimes too but uh. that's uhh. gulps very fucking nervously. that's when uh. Things happen ok i can't go into detail or i'll pass out.. he gets very touchy LIKE VERY TOUCHY i mean like nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck while toying with the hem of my shirt YEAH YEAH YEA H I NEED TO STOP HERE FUCK .

[kalpalatas]

take me to the sea?

(ask me about my wips!)

this one's bronseele (star rail version), although the title is a reference to bronseele (honkai 3rd version). don't worry about it.

star rail bronseele have. the funniest/bittersweet/heartbreaking final character stories of all time. (i'm exaggerating on account of being the only person alive who still OTPs them in the playerbase but it's objectively true, trust me-)

anyway this is bronya's, set just before her coronation:

"Over-thinking things again?" The woman looking like a butterfly asks, with a teasing smile on her face. She replies with an exasperation grin. "Same as always, you know — I'm nervous beforehand, but can play to my audience once on stage." "Hey, don't screw this up. Those old fossils want to play politics, and they're just waiting for an opportunity for you to slip up." "Haha... Then I'll have to ask you to keep an eye on them for me." "Hey, looks like time is up." The dull sound of gears gnashing and turning echoes in the hall. She cast one last look back at the person beside her — who retreats into the shadows with a nod and a trusting smile. The door creaks open and a beam of warm light shot into the hall, lighting up her face. What follows are deafening applause and cheers. "Let's go, Bronya."

and this is seele's, set during said coronation:

The majestic cry of horns resounds throughout the skies, and the bustling crowd falls silent immediately. A man in a comical outfit rushes to the podium, and shouts in a piercing voice — "Ladies and gentlemen! For the ribbon-cutting part of this ceremony, please welcome to the stage — the Supreme Guardian herself, Madam Bronya Rand!" Deafening cheers erupt from the plaza. Seele quietly pulls the pickpocket out of the crowd during the ruckus, and escorts him to the Silvermane Guards on duty. She turns to look back at the distant stage, and briefly locks eyes with the woman in the white dress. The Supreme Guardian flashes her an ever-so-brief smile, and Seele nods slightly in response. And then, they go their separate ways — one stepping into the light, the other into the shadows. — One day, they will finally meet again.

the clown shit funny part of this is...they're never really separated, because in belobog events in-game, seele seems to be a sort of liason between bronya and wildfire, the previously insurgent organisation she is a leading figure in. sometimes bronya and the capital city too. "one day, they will finally meet again" is hilarious in retrospect. seele's vote is counted into political decisions for belebog's future??

anyway. enough backstory. if i go into the weird museum guide interview i won't ever shut up.

the wip is . actually it's just an outline so no snippets yet. watch this space. the long and short of it is - seele thinks she's swept up in a torrid situationship with the supreme guardian of the land; bronya is on step 5 of her 12 part plan to instate seele to the inaugural position of grand consort of belobog. seele is neck-deep in historical records that keep hammering home the point that the architects select the guardians to be married to her land and her duty while bronya's blackmailing persuading the architects and the ipc to let her define the duties and responsibilities of the trophy wife first spouse of the city-state. i want to sort of. explore the reversal of the characterisation that we see of them, i suppose. seele is the hot-headed jock who thwacks first thinks later, bronya is the calculating strategist who's averse to taking huge risks. but when it comes to each other, they seem to be the opposite - bronya sees seele in her future, despite the political differences of their stations and the weight of her guardianship of belobog; seele plays it hilariously safe, tiptoeing around situations that involve bronya's job and position, canonically abstaining from economic and political decisions bronya herself seeks out her opinion on. the ipc interlude with topaz actually drove it home for me that seele is anxious and skittish about talking about difficult topics that involve overworld politics even where they intersect with the underworld and wildfire, meanwhile bronya is one bad day from cooking numby for dinner.

anyway this won't be a very long fic if i ever find the energy and guts to write it. i can finish it in one sitting if i just. focus. lol. wish me luck.

(anyway the sea comes in because while in hi3 the sea is called azure and compared to seele's eyes, jarilo-iv is frozen over and sea is grey. like bronya's eyes. 👉🏽👉🏽. it's a working title. it will change.)

[bigbeautybigheart]

So today (February 25th) is the 1 year anniversary of Episode 98, huh?

I was wondering why I saw an art based on this particular part:

Beautiful smile, isn't it? But what if I tell y'all that he owes this one to MITSUKO of all people?

Yep, you heard that right! I know that for many people this episode was, as usual, ZwiYudi this, ZwiYudi that and blah-blah. But did ANYONE else actually stopped to think how without MITSUKO Zwijo wouldn't have been able to smile like that 👆👆👆? And yeah, before anyone calls me a biased shipper (cause ZwiMitsu is my big OTP), at least I am able to back up my opinion with some REAL, solid facts.

So let me remind you that this was Zwijo right before Mitsuko (and Dinova) showed up:

Right as he was in the middle of declaring his final attack, he suddenly felt a surge of pain and collapsed, weakness overwhelming him as life was rapidly leaving his body. He literally could no longer STAND, let alone finish the duel. Now imagine what would have happened if Mitsuko (and Dinova) hadn't shown up? To Zwijo this last duel with Yudias was super important, it was literally the VERY LAST thing he wanted to accomplish before he could finally bite the dust. And yeah, Zwijo did NOT expect to be revived again like he was in S3. At THIS point in 98, he saw this moment as one big, true finale to his whole existence... yet he grew so weak that he wasn't even able to declare his last, VICTORIOUS move against Yudias. Now imagine just how anticlimactic it would have been had he just died, leaving such an important duel with No Result? And that would have been exactly what was about to happen, but then-

YESSS! These two came right up to support him! And yeah-yeah, I AM aware that Dinova was also there, but the reason why I have been putting her in brackets and focusing on Mitsuko is rather obvious... if one actually bothers to think about it? Now let's see what happened at the beginning of this very episode.

Dinova was completely exhausted after her last Tag Duel which had already taken Myuda's life. And yet she used the last ounce of her strength to try and go back to Zwijo... which was something she ALMOST failed to do. She herself was ON THE VERGE OF DYING, lacking strength to even hold onto this thing she was flying on. And so, she would have collapsed in some woods, dying all alone in a desolate place among the Mutsuba Mountains.

Now THAT would have been a rather sad ending for her, right? But guess what? It did not happen as in a mere blink-and-you-miss-it moment there was a swish-! and a certain SOMEONE caught her right there and then. And who that was?

Yep! The Best Girl in the series!!! ☺️☺️☺️

So yeah, I am 100%, no, 1000% sure that without MITSUKO Dinova (and also Myuda whose spirit still lingered while she was alive) wouldn't have been there to make this wonderful scene real:

And do y'all know what is even more poignant about this whole thing? Remember just how PETTY and TOXIC Dinova used to be to Mitsuko before 98?

Geez, I used to HATE her with all my heart for bullying my girl Mitsuko 🤬🤬🤬 But guess what? It was MITSUKO who took that big step and buried the hatchet for good! Even though she absolutely did NOT have to. And especially not after the way Dinova had treated her up to that point. But! As my blog name suggests, I firmly believe that Mitsuko is not only a big beauty, but also has a big heart (and it's not just about its actual physical parameter). Yeah, Hiramori Mitsuko has the kindness and compassion that not many people actually have. And I admit, I can hardly imagine myself being able to fully forgive and even BEFRIEND someone who was shitty to me in the past. I have my own reasons for that though... but I'll digress.

What I am saying is, I believe Mitsuko does NOT get enough praise in English speaking fandom for the big act of LOVE towards Zwijo, the love that allowed him to have this beautiful and glorious moment at, what he perceived as, the very end of his life:

On top of that, it also led to Mitsuko fostering a new friendship onwards and demonstrated even more of her lovely and caring nature:

☺️☺️☺️

Oh, but you know what is even MORE poignant about 98?

The fact that initially Mitsuko HESITATED to actually go and see Zwijo, even as she knew he was about to disappear forever.

Can't blame her for hesitating. After all, Zwijo's unresponsive attitude towards her surely caused her A LOT of innermost pain. It would have been perfectly understandable had she chosen NOT to see him again... but how would his duel against Yudias end then? And what about Dinova? Talk about a little Butterfly Effect in action, kick-started by ONE decision Mitsuko made at the beginning of 97.

Yep, she had a CHOICE there, and she CHOSE Zwijo. To see him one last time.

Speaking of:

I wonder what was that "something" she wanted to tell him... Could it be that she wanted to confess her feelings to him? This question of mine was left unanswered as the only thing she said as she met him again was helping him declare his final attack (and kick Yudias's butt lol). And you know what? ...I'm actually glad that back at THAT moment there wasn't any "I love you" out of her mouth. I feel that in 98, during that duel in particular, it would have been rather out of place. That moment was absolutely about ZWIJO, and NOT about her. And this makes me be proud to be her fan: Mitsuko is truly one of the most selfless characters I know. Even if it's painful, even if it's frustrating, but she IS capable of putting herself on the back burner just so that the man she loves could SHINE at the very end of his life... even if she never gets to tell him "I love you".

...But did she actually not do enough to convey her feelings? I personally believe that she did as true love does not necessarily require words (or out-of-nowhere switches to some flower field sceneries 🙄). Mitsuko CHOSE to stand by Zwijo's side in his last moments, she CHOSE to include the girl who used to hurt her over some petty jealousy (now compare this to Yuna completely screwing everything up for some delusional "love" for Ohdo Yuga, losing the friendships she had and hurting everyone 🙄).

...Truly, I can't help but adore this part of 98. And that's why I HATE that THIS happened in S3:

Seriously? Zwijo? Did you just decide to pretend she wasn't there? Like if she was just some air? Gosh, when I saw this for the first time I was so baffled, I couldn't speak, like wtf??? 😑

And what hurt even worse was this:

Note, this scene where Yudias talked to her was AFTER she saw Zwijo again (and he behaved like a total douche 😑😑😑). Yes, she got pissed and even demolished her dango stand in fury... and yet she still proceeded to say the thing above 👆.

My poor girl 💔 You can't help but love that bastard, huh? And the moment in 98 was truly SPECIAL for you, wasn't it?😭😭😭

The warmth she could still feel... And yet! THAT! IDIOT! 🤬🤬🤬

And yeah, I'm pretty sure some people out there could go "Duuuh, just because SHE loves him, it doesn't mean that HE owes her any reciprocation 🙄". Y'know what? Shocker, I know, but I believe I do NOT lack braincells to understand that 😑 But c'mon, after this and all other instances when she helped him, doesn't she deserve at least a gaze of his towards herself? A genuine smile? A "thank you"? Like, UGH:

I was so WHAT THE HECK when I first saw this one. Like, what the hell did Yuamu do deserve such big vows of devotion? Huh??? Her "strong and deep resolve" was just as much of a bullshit as her entire plan to "become Otes". But noooo, Zwijo claimed it was his "fate" to be the stupid girl's "knight". 😑 Seriously, this and the whole ZwiYua ship tease was a mistake of nature and an abomination, YIKES 🤢🤢🤢

And then this:

??? Hello? Yuhites literally treated you like a DOG, twisting your name into various dog names, and yet? And yet??? What's with this smile? This hand hold? This sympathy? So S3 Zwijo IS capable of all that... just not towards the one woman who has always been there for him, even if he could have never expected it (like in 98)? And then there's also this:

I have only thing to say about his S3 self: What the hell is wrong with you??? 😑😑😑

Sure, he has always been far from perfect as a character, but his S3 self is just... Something, and NOT in a good way.

Nevertheless, though, even after what he had done (or, rather, NOT done aka helped bringing Velgerians back to life) and what he said, it's still as clear as day that Dinova isn't willing to give up on the precious bond she has had with him so easily.

And, I'm pretty sure, same goes for Mitsuko... cause, otherwise, she wouldn't have been grieving the him from before:

And I know how SOME people out there hate ZwiMitsu cause "uwu she deserves so much better, Zwijo is baaaad". But guess what? I've learned to treat this "opinion" like a piece of used toilet paper (lmao), ESPECIALLY since it's coming from obvious hypocrites (*cough* who also happen to ship ZwiYudi *cough* I guess Yudias would be fine with Zwijo no matter how much of an asshole he is *cough* Yudias doesn't deserve better *cough* Talk about double standards *cough*).

Oh, and I know that many people can't take Mitsuko's feelings for Zwijo seriously considering how random and silly their first meeting was... but, honestly, does it even matter? And ESPECIALLY after episode 98? Again, Mitsuko NEVER owed Zwijo anything at all, she isn't his subordinate, one of his soldiers... she's just a girl who has ever done anything for him because she LOVES him. And, in my opinion, it's stupid to deny that, to downplay her feelings, just because there was never a blatant "I have always loved you" in his face (and random petals flying around). Her actions have always spoken louder than words and THAT'S the more realistic portrayal of love.

And last but not least, as this post is getting published, we only have 5 episodes left until the finale... and Zwijo is already foreshadowed to have his very last duel in the series. Oh, and, apparently, get his ass beaten hardcore.

Dang, I HOPE the beating + that explosion are FINALLY going to fix his brain synapses and make him truly revaluate everything he has done (and realize how much of a jerk he has been). Now that would be SOMETHING!

P.S. I bet someone would 🤨 at me for bringing up some ship hate here, but lemme tell you this: mind your own business and stay in your own bubbles. I have the right to my opinion, positive or negative. Buzz off.