#otp: not your sidekicks

[whatthehellami]

The villain cried as the medic extracted the bullet from their butt. The wretched hero had shot them in the butt. Their ass was scarred for life now.

"I will find that hero and kill them, what has happened to y-" The sidekick covered their mouth, trying to muffle their sobs. The loud noise made by the sidekick was giving the villain a headache.

"If you don't shut up write now, I'm going to shove this scalpel down your throat. I'm going to stitch you up now, so brace yourself."

At that the villain promptly broke into tears. They had only joined the Agency for the mysterious and cool aesthetic but now they were getting repeatedly stabbed in their ass.

And not in a way they liked.

[writingpromptsworld]

Prompt #42

The sidekick is in love with the villain and hero, but they don't know. Nor do they show any sign of liking the sidekick back. In fact, the sidekick has to suppress their feeling of jealousy, every time the villain flirts with the hero, and the hero flirts back. His heart ached every time at the sight. The sidekick can do nothing but watch them. He keeps a journal, that he writes in every day.

One day, the villain and the hero find the journal.

❌ Credit me if use this ❌

[terrayoung]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Nimona (2023) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ballister Blackheart | Ballister Boldheart/Ambrosius Goldenloin Characters: Ballister Blackheart | Ballister Boldheart, Ambrosius Goldenloin, Nimona (Nimona) Additional Tags: Nimona's only in the last section, Canon Disabled Character, Canon Queer Character, Asexual Character, (all three of them), Aromantic spectrum Character(s), (Ballister is demiromantic and Nimona is aromantic), He/She/They pronouns for Nimona, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mostly fluff though Summary:

Ambrosius holds out his hand again. “Wanna be friends?” “You’re sure?” Ballister warily eyes the outstretched hand. “’Course I’m sure!” When Ballister finally takes his hand, Ambrosius uses the opportunity to tug him toward the training grounds. “Race you over – last one there is a slayed monster!”

Or: Ambrosius and Ballister’s relationship through the years.

[slowlyzealouslover]

Prompt#101

"Sidekick! I want to have a look, please!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you would not let me read a magazine."

"You are so petty!"

"Actions have consequences, dear Hero."

[runespoor7]

I mean obviously I’m am going to ask you about chengxian, for the ask meme

What made you ship it?

It was the most interesting relationship in the book. I'm a sucker for childhood friends with broken promises, for grief, for misunderstandings over loyalty and love, and for relationships whose resolution in canon is bittersweet.

It still took some time and effort before I started really shipping it. I was theoretically open to shipping it but I hadn't yet read fics that really sold me on it (this was in 2019, I think). Then as an experiment I put a WWX-inspired character in the setting I was GMing for the JC and JYL NPC stand-ins to have him to play off of. Turned out I did ship them.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

😬

*wide, helpless, expansive gesture*

It's never simple with them. It's always fraught. They love one another but they also resent one another. Hunting demonic cultivators is about WWX still maybe being alive. Maybe JC can bring himself to kill WWX this time, or maybe he can find a way to bring WWX back home and forgive him. WWX promises to be with JC but he ends up promising that he won't stay ("like my father served your father") but he didn't mean it with an end. the mess that is the fraughtness of WWX's liminal space when it comes to his social rank.

love hurts, what hurts is love.

the fact that the one 'leading' is WWX, not JC, going against the accepted social order. (tbh, if that wasn't the case, I probably wouldn't be into the ship.) it paints such a picture of WWX being so charismatic, and JC being so taken with him, that JC falls into being WWX's sidekick. no wonder YZY was awful about it.

JC keeping Chenqing like a mad dog and keeping Lotus Pier WWX-safe. I. god. JC rating WWX's attention >>>>>>>>>>>>> JC's self-respect every time, in every way. Amazing.

it's incredible to me how WWX asks JYL about love in a scene framed in a manner to make it subtextually point in the direction of LWJ (it's mdzs; the canon pair in mdzs is wgxn; there are no - explicit - love triangles in mdzs; and yet even WWX's original crush on LWJ is, uh. informed by JC and how WWX is with JC and the fact that LWJ is New and Not The Son of WWX's Benefactor. this is normal.), where it's apparent that WWX is scared of being in love because it changes how you act, it's a limit, it's a cage, you're limiting yourself for someone else - and then WWX does something for JC that is everything he was scared of.

and it does ruin him! it's terrible! so his romance with LWJ is everything his feelings for JC weren't. He's not the one doing the protecting. LWJ doesn't question him. There are no expectations of anything, no discussions of the future, no thoughts of society. LWJ is just such a comfort, just a good thing WWX gets because he wants it. Also LWJ isn't emotionally taxing af (this is a big one). (WWX kinda ends up YZY-ing himself at the end of the book but I'm not thinking about that.)

WWX's utter toxicity toward JC. not a iota of respect for either JC or JC's boundaries to be found, except when convenient for WWX.

they both really, really believe that WWX is better than JC in every way. it's very cool

look. i'm a simple person. arrogant genius jerk/grumpy dutiful tsundere otp.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I love the joke that chengxian isn't incest but both of them wish it were, but I think the only time one of them wished they were brothers was JC when he decided to sacrifice himself for WWX and he was lying in bed making morbid jokes. At least sacrificing yourself for your brother who is the better cultivator and can lead the sect would be simple. Forgivable. Good.

I also think they might grow to think of one another as brothers at some point post-canon, that's a sort of reconciliation that might happen, but to me it's key that during canon they don't know what they are to one another, they just know they're scarily, terrifyingly important, and there's no word for what they are to one another.

JC refused shixiong-shidi (in a shocking reversal of their normal dynamic, I think he forgot he did that and spent roughly two decades feeling insecure and weird that WWX doesn't call him shidi) and they can be nothing else, socially speaking. The love that dare not speak its name, if you would. And at that same time post-canon they could also decide that what they're to each other is that WWX used to be in love with JC, and maybe JC still is, and they're not brothers. Or maybe both! The point is, the definition of their relationship is uncharted waters and they never thought of each other as 'brothers' (much less called each other that).

2) WWX is incredibly bitter and resentful of giving his core to JC and that colors everything he thinks and says about JC afterwards, including after he's returned to life. Basically, he gave, and gave, and gave, and felt there was no gratitude, and he's unable to live the life he wanted, unable to reap the promises life made him, and JC isn't any more agreeable or tractable than before (less so, in fact!). It's not fair.

[icamefromadream]

◦•◦Need some Unique AUs for your OCs/OTP? I got you!◦•◦

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Angel and Demon AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Under the Sea AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Arranged Marriage AU (It could be like Romeo and Julliet OR an AU where they have to get along with one another after an arranged marriage.)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦Assasins AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Art School AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ BookStore AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Army AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Idol and Fan AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Ballet AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Beach AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Celebrities AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Ceo and Ceo AU (This would be si intresting though)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Butcher shop and Flower shop AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Circus AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Racers AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Necromancer and DEAD person AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Witch and Wizard AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Supernatural and Supernatural AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Detective AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Daycare AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Demon and Demon hunter

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Fantasy AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Illusion AU (Basically both characters hold up illusions on their true reality, whether it's physically or mentally.)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Fashion Designers and Models (This would be so cute as a ship)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Flower Shop AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ God's and Goddesses AU (POSSOBLY MY ALL TIME FAVORITE.)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Amnesia AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Guardian Angel and Their Human AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Guarian Angel and Guardian Angel SU (this is definitely a ship)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Ghosts AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Switch bodies/lives AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Hollywood AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ HUMAN AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Ice Skating AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Library AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Lawyers AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Scientists AU (Like test subject x Scientist)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Asylum AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Band AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Medival AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Office AU (I had to add in a few classics, come on they're so good)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Reveng story AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Preist and Demon AU (This doesn't have to be a ship)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Photographer and Model AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Stalker and Stalker AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Stalker and Detrctive AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Apocalypse AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Reincarnation AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ University/College Roomates AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Soulmates AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Shapeshifters AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Teachers AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Vampire and Damsel in Distress AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Superhero and Sidekick/Villain AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Wedding Crashers AU

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Divorced AU

Follow @paranoia-art For More!

Up next, Unique and Funny Ships to draw/write your favorite OTP as!

May 5 2024

[save-the-villainous-cat]

ngl i sometimes forgot that hero, villain, sidekick, etc. in the hero x villain snippets/prompts aren't their own characters but rather a "imagine your ocs/otp" type of thing like. wym im supposed to imagine Henchman and Right Hand as a character that isn't. them if that make sense ⁉️⁉️ -🐏

Mmmmm kinda?

Personally when I write snippets I don’t think of any OCs of mine and I just make up their personalities/backgrounds as I go. So, in a sense they’re their own characters.

However, they don’t have names, genders nor do they have a proper character arc which doesn’t really make them their own characters either.

I think that makes this community so interesting: the writing is vague enough to give the reader their own ideas/inspiration but is also most of the time too specific to fit any OCs or OTPs.

It’s quite interesting, don’t ya think?

[linkspooky]

requesting shou and ryou!

Why I like them / Why I don't

I'll do these two at the same time, because the two of them are a set.

What I like the most about Shou is that he's deeply unlikable. His arc is very non-standard for a sidekick character who's defined by his lack of confidence. He doesn't slowly gain confidence and learn independence so much as he just latches onto Judai at first sight and uses him as a crutch, and like the show acknowledges right away how unhealthy this is. Then when Judai stops being the perfect big brother that Sho projected onto him as, he almost completely abandons him.

Sho is the only little brother I like though, because he's a character with flaws and agency of his own. Mokuba, Haruto, both only exist as plot objects to give Kaiba and Kite sympathetic motivations. Truly, the best sibling relationship in the entirety of Yu-Gi-Oh!

Which neatly dovetails into Ryo because Shou and Ryo's relationship only makes Ryo look worse. Ryo is such a shit brother, and I'm not saying this because he makes his brother wear shock collars and electrocutes him until he passes out. Ryo's just like, this big brother with a superiority complex that sabotages his brothers self esteem at every corner. Ryo's so naturally gifted he doesn't get that people learn at different rates. I think half of his treatment of Sho is that logic, "Well, Sho needs someone to be harsh on him so he'll grow. Honestly, Ryo probably projects himself a lot onto Sho. It's not from lack of care for Sho, but actually how close the two brothers are. Ryo's logic is likely WELL I CAN HANDLE IT SO SHO CAN TOO. it's ironic because part of Ryo's early characterization is the respectful duel where you understand understand your opponents, but he doesn't understand Sho at all for like ninety percent of the show. He seems like Sho as a little brother and extension of himself and not his own person.

What I like about their appearance

I like how Sho resembles Yugi a lot, from his height to his silhouette. it adds to the deconstruction element of his character. By relying on the pharaoh Yugi slowly gains confidence in himself. Relying on Judai to do literally EVERYTHING stunts Sho's grwoth and poisons their friendship.

Ryo's design is absolutely perfect. No notes. He dresses like a thirteen year old's idea of what cool is.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

Hell Kaiser Ryo is the coolest fucking name ever, as well as Kaiser Sho, Zane and Cyrus couldn't possibly surpass that.

OTP

Kaiser / Fubuki is a favorite for me. Literally every time they interact it's golden. If they got to interact more than just, one duel, then they'd probably be my second favorite ship... but like characters are underdeveloped in GX compared to Judai, water is wet.

NOTP

I don't have one. I guess Judai and Shou because their relationship is super unhealthy. I don't see them as brothers at all either.-

OT3

Don't have one either.

Favourite card they use

The risk of powerbond is their attack points will be dealt to you at the end of the turn.

Favourite moment they were in

Hell Kaiser Ryo being dragged to an underground dueling match in a cage where he gets shocked until he reaches his breaking point, and also develops a fetish for shock collars. Truly one of the most Yu-Gi-Oh moments in all of YuGiOh.

Least favourite moment

I appreciate the spirit of Shou remembering Judai's words that even if a friend went to the dark side and there was nothing you could do to help them the least you could do is watch over them until the end because they're your friend. On the other hand, Shou took "Watch over them" to literally mean just sit there and do fucking nothing while observing from afar.

[uhhhitsme]

002: Duke Keane?

002 | Give me a character & I will tell you

How I feel about this character: 

All the people I ship romantically with this character: 

My non-romantic OTP for this character: 

My unpopular opinion about this character: 

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

my OTP:

my cross over ship:

a headcanon fact:

one: i am so sorry for the extremely late response. i started writing this yesterday and finished the questions but then my page reloaded and it all got sent to shit and it was 12 am so i just. gave up. two: youre so cool btw thank you for all the lovely comments on my fics :DDDDD three: so hahahahahah i havent watched nmt2. and by extension have not seen killer track. ITS FINE.

HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS CHARACTER: i desperately need this guy to give me a hug none of you get it. it would actually fix me. like im being so serious right now maybe some of you gay fucks (/lh) want to dick him down i need him to give me the biggest hug in the entire world it would make my entire life so much better. i absolutely adore him with my entire heart---he treats hannah nicely!!!!!!! in the witch in the web!!!!!!!!!!!! he's so freaking sweet to her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! his dynamic with ms. holloway is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he desperately wants to do good for the world, to make a change in someones life, to help others, and that sparks so so so much joy i love him so much.

ALL THE PEOPLE I SHIP ROMANTICALLY WITH THIS CHARACTER: well obviously. ms. holloway. THE power couple of all time. wilbur because it would be funny. and. uh. ted. NOT BECAUSE ITS A BUDGET CURTWEN SHIP. WELL YES. A LITTLE. but also because i read two wonderful fics by amythestunarmed (?) (i think) on ao3 that dstroyed me and i desperately am in need for more content their dynamic is so cute.

MY NON ROMANTIC OTP FOR THIS CHARACTER: probably him and rose. i dont know anything about rose but idk i feel like theyd be a fun duo.

MY UNPOPULAR OPINION ABOUT THIS CHARACTER: okay so i dont really get why i see people all the time being like "everyone treats duke as a sidekick!! we need more love for duke!!" like idk man. he seems pretty popular to me. i see a billion trillion analysis posts for him all the time. maybe because im not really that into the hatchetfield fandom i like dont get it but 🤷 i do think he deserves the attention i love him so much the guy ever!!!!!

ONE THING I WISH I WOULD HAPPEN WITH THIS CHARACTER: guys im delusional i genuinely think he and ms. holloway could have a happy ending in miss holloween. i know they wont get it. BUT PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE THEY LOVE EACHOTHER. PLEASE ITS NOT FAIR. PLEASE. IT MAKES ME SO UPSET PLEASE I WILL DO ANYTHING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. JUST LET THEM LOVE EACHOTHER. PLEASE.

MY CROSSOVER SHIP: uhhh i dont neccarily have one but someone should put him with keith swanson for the sillies

HEADCANON: i think ms holloway has a thing about pie??? he doesnt actually like it but he comes to the diner all the time to eat it anyway because homeslice is down BADDDDDD. this might contradict canon but it would be really funny to me if he's shit with animals. or on the flipside. he's TOO good with animals. they follow him around all the time and he doesnt know how to make them go away. modern snow white fr

[itookyoudown]

for the otp ask!! i wanna know your thoughts on 14 👀

How do their personalities compliment each other? How do they clash?

Raylan and Tim are the perfect sheriff & deputy duo. Raylan's the hero, Tim's the sidekick. Raylan is fire, Tim is ice. They both are protectors but while Tim's the watchdog, Raylan is the hedge knight in shining armor an off white stetson.

They're both snarky assholes who can dish it out and take it in stride. Raylan's more sensitive than Tim but he's also more thoughtless because Raylan has a deeply selfish core. This works out fine. It's in Tim's nature to be both indulgent and obedient.

Raylan strikes out on his own and does what he wants while Tim follows orders and does what's best for others.

They're stubborn as mules, but Tim will eventually fold for Raylan while Raylan holds fast. Tim's loyalty ensures he'll stick around through whatever wildcard bullshit Raylan pulls off. It doesn't matter how many times Raylan fucks up, the only place Tim is going is wherever Raylan goes next.

Tim lives small so Raylan can live larger than life.

They're also both angry men. The only difference is Tim swallows his anger and will self-destruct while Raylan spills his anger everywhere and destroys others. They annoy each other so much but they also accept each other without stipulations or expectations. They argue often and get snippy. Raylan's too bossy and Tim's too cold.

And yet

And yet

They work out best together. Tim's the stability Raylan needs to balance out his stormy life. Raylan is the jolt of chaos that keeps Tim on his toes and stops him from disappearing.

(obligatory OTP asks meme)

[phoenixtakaramono]

Fanfiction Tropes Tier List (Reader Edition)

Thank you for the tag, @deliciouskeys! (Here's their tier list!)

I tag: @fuckingpajamas, @phtalate, @tzeentchs-secretary-tea-time, @digitalbath1988, @vanshoundd, @tocadoguara, and anyone who wants to do this! I’d be very interested to see how y’all would rank ‘em :) but ofc no pressure if you don’t want to or have already done this!

…So I feel like I need to give some context🧍🏻‍♀️🙈 The tl;dr is: I will read almost anything, but I have certain standards/ expectations that must be met in order for me to continue.

I tried to organize these tropes from top ➡️ bottom, have strong feelings about (would more likely read) ➡️ am less passionate about going from left ➡️ right. For the bottom tiers with asterisks, I arranged them from “this specific trope represents the tier description” ➡️ “eh, it fits here but I don’t really hold strong opinions about these” from left ➡️ right.

⬇️Expand for a detailed breakdown below the line break ⬇️

My Tier List for fanfic tropes I consume as a Reader differ in some areas from tropes I’d like to write or would be open to writing as a Writer. As a reader, I usually give almost every fanfic a chance with my own arbitary criteria—although what I read is very ship dependent according to their canon dynamic (for example, I will devour Enemies to Lovers for one specific OTP in one fandom, but would NEVER read that trope applied to a different fav ship of mine in a different fandom). I also tossed in some danmei BL tropes, for funsies and because I want more people to know about them <3.

And remember, if you like any of these that I personally don’t, that’s great! Everyone has their own preferences. Please don’t take offense. These are just how I view these tropes specifically according to me, haha. It says less about you and more about me being picky with what I like to read and gives context about what kind of bibliophile (person who likes reading) I am.

Tier 1 (SSS Level)

Slowburn: Just as context, I regularly read light novels (hetero, danmei, and baihe) which can easily range from 100ch-300ch each. So slowburns is the quintessential demisexual experience for me, and I love it when they’re long fics where we get to see characters grow and relationships develop, with worldbuilding and an interesting plot. I think the longest I’ve ever read was +2.8K chapters of a story I was addicted to. Typically if I see it’s a slowburn, I know I’m gonna have a good time.

Fix-It Fic: As much as I love canon of the original source material, there are certain canon story decisions and/or plotholes that hurt me—so it’s always great to see someone write their own interpretation to try to “fix it.” You get banger fics and it’s just so creative and a nice catharsis.

Canon Divergence: Same as how I regard a Fix-It.

Dark Fic: Irl I obviously do not condone any of the things that typically happen in Dark Fics. But as someone who has consumed your usual wholesome healthy Lifetime Original style romance stories for a loooooong time, that type of milquetoast wholesomeness has become bland and predictable for me—which is why the wild and crazy shenanigans that happen in Dark Fics spices things up for me and I like that it keeps me guessing. I don’t want to read about things from my life. I think screwed up characters can offer so much more interesting stakes than a Good Guy. I like the tension and uncertainty. Ex. this is why I tend to prefer the protag/villain ships over the protag/childhood friend ships; it’s why a princely character who is secretly yandere is so much more interesting than a sidekick character with a bland and forgettable personality. The writers of Dark Fics, 9/10 times, produce something so interesting that I can’t put my phone down and I just have to binge through their entire fic because the suspense is k*lling me.

Conspiracy & Schemes: Mysteries? Political intrigue? Palace drama? Yes, please, inject it into my veins.

Strong Protagonist & Strong Love Interest: It’s similar to how I’ve come to prefer reading Dark Fics. The market’s too oversaturated with the damsel in distress trope being saved by his/her prince charming. I’ve read too many novels and fanfics about that dynamic, it’s gotten a little stale for me, haha. Give me the clever, scheming, morally grey or villainous MC with a strong backbone. I like badasses. As for the ML or FL, I also prefer them to be strong or scheming as well so they can be a power couple with the MC—and curb-stomp the world and their enemies. …*holds face like a blushing maiden* Don’t they sound like the equivalent of a fairytale couple?

Mutual Pining: Yes, yes, yes. It’ll never be not good.

Revenge-Rebirth: I love underdog characters plotting their secret machinations and getting their revenge. Pair it with a rebirth, where a previous villain(ess) or cannon fodder who’d suffered before learns from the mistakes of their previous life and uses their second life to faceslap their enemies and turn their destiny around? Yes, yes, yes.

Survival Game: I love the Infinite Flow (survival horror/ death game) genre, what can I say? If you’ve read the famous ones, you know why. The writing is almost always superb and so interesting (seeing all the unique horror instances that the MC has to figure out in order to survive). It’s just so imaginative.

Obsessive Love: Same as how I regard a Dark Fic. I do not condone it irl, but an unhealthily codependent partner in my fictional romances? Yes. I want them to be even more obsessed with my favorite character and fall deeper and deeper in love.

Misunderstanding: There is a difference between how I view misunderstandings versus how I view miscommunication (which can grate on my nerves if not executed well). I believe you fundamentally cannot have a good long fic without some misunderstandings that the MC or Love Interest has to clear up, and it’s always so good once the cat is out of the bag and the truth is revealed.

Isekai/ Transmigration (World-Hopping): Yes. Gimme. It’s like 10 stories in one. I like it when your ordinary layperson gets transported into a different fantastical world or pseudohistorical world or into a different modern world of much different circumstances depending on their new identity. I like these duck out of water stories.

Historical AU & Royalty AU: There’s just something about pseudo-medieval settings that can be so charming and interesting to read. If you’ve got royalty thrown in, there’s the additional seasoning of power struggles between members of royalty and aristocracy, and political intrigue, and seeing how a kingdom is run. Writers tend to do a good job worldbuilding these types of stories with characters I like moved into this new setting.

Established Relationship: The domesticity and PDA of it all can make my heart go dokidoki (especially if they’re a powerhouse couple). It can fall into the danger of coming across as bland, so this depends on the plot and writer’s execution of their relationship. I gotta have some stakes.

Enemies to Lovers: I love it for certain pairings.

Forbidden Love: It’s the tabooness of it that makes it interesting to read.

Friends to Lovers: As long as it’s not milquetoast or bland, I think most of the time this is executed well. It’s a step below an Established Relationship, so they’ve got wiggle room to develop into that.

Soulmate AU: It’s inherently romantic, what can I say? I will REALLY LOVE it though if the writer gives it a unique twist.

First Kiss & Sharing a Bed: It’s tender and sweet (or hot) and I will never get tired of it. You can’t go wrong with it.

Magic AU & Fairytale AU: It’s a fantasy world. As long as it’s not bland and there is a serviceable magic system, I will generally like it. (One caveat: it cannot be a HP AU. C’mon. As much as I like HP, you can do better as a writer than transporting these characters into the HP universe. Come up with your own magic system.) For fairytale AUs, it’s basically your Hans Christian Andersen/ Disney fairytale with your favorite characters. I don’t think you can go wrong with it. I just love any AUs in general.

Huddle for Warmth: Same as First Kiss & Sharing a Bed & PWP.

Tier 2 (A Level)

Fluff: Oftentimes reading cute fluff (like sneaking quick kisses or holding hands) can make me blush and giggle more than reading p0rn or smut on my phone in public. HOWEVER, unlike a oneshot where I can tolerate it, for me fluff has be spread sporadically throughout if it’s a long fic. If the long fic is just too fluffy and sweet all the way throughout (force-feeding me “meng” and “dog food” (PDA)), I get the equivalent of a sugary overdose and any interest I have for the fic dries up into “ugh, that’s enough”—which usually ends up with me dropping the fic if the fluff had oversaturated everything (all sugar/ fluff, no real meaty substance). There’s only so much cutesy uwu, descriptions of someone’s soft coquettish voice scratching the Love Interest’s heart like a cat’s paw, etc that I can stomach at a time. It’s like junk food; I can’t eat too much of it.

PWP: As a connoisseur of all things slowburn and a demisexual irl, I have to be in the mood to read a PWP. It’s p0rn without plot; I don’t expect to be reading much plot (although it’d be a pleasant surprise if the p0rn came with some serviceable-enough plot 👌). It is what’s written on the tin. I’m not here expecting a Shakespearean masterpiece. A writer was gripped by the h0rny and decided to share, and this was the result. I’m here to turn my brain off, have fun, and read about two of my favorite fictional characters banging each other stupid.

Im Vino Veritas (Drunken Confessions): Yes, gimme. I’m picky about the execution and the follow-up scene that comes after the drunken confession though (after the drunk character sobers up). The writer has to be skilled enough for me to root for the character and not cringe (unless the whole point is to cringe at the drunk confessing because it’s established they’re a cannon fodder character who won’t get together with the MC or Love Interest).

Missing Scenes: I generally like it when writers come up with a What-If scenario that happens between Point A and Point C of canon. It can be fun and believable—especially if they get the characterization right. Then it’s like reading a little bonus content (like, you know it’s a person’s headcanon but, dang, it’s written so well I could almost believe it was canon).

Office AU: I love me my rich Sugar Daddy AUs and doting CEO husbands pampering and spoiling their lovers. I enjoy reading about a business expanding into a powerful corporation and the power struggles that come with. It’s a guilty pleasure. (I do have to try not to think about HR though.)

Showbiz AU: It’s a guilty pleasure. Sometimes I learn something new about the acting or modeling or fashion industry, and it’s interesting. I also like seeing the journey of the unknown underdog MC rising like a phoenix from a nobody to a well-respected powerhouse of their industry.

Reincarnation: Same as how I regard almost other AUs here (inject it into my veins). With reincarnation though, I usually like to see the rebirth have an affect on the story. It’s an important plot device after all. If it seems like the whole rebirth part could be omitted and it wouldn’t even impact the story with that aspect removed, then…well, sorry, the story didn’t execute it well.

Cold Love Interest: Depends on the execution, but I like it when you have this character who’s known to be cold slowly be thawed out the more and more they start opening up to the Main Character—until they inevitably fall in love. It’s essentially reading about an ice cube that has melted into warm spring water. The transformation can be so beautiful and moving, because you’ve been following them on their journey of self-discovery and finding happiness. (However, my tolerance toward Cold Characters does have a limit; they can’t be irredeemable at the start. Because if it’s the equivalent of the Wife Chasing Crematorium trope, where the Love Interest is a cheating (?) murderous (?) selfish abusive assh0le who has essentially traumatized the MC and still gets together with them at the end…….ugh, 9/10 times I will dislike it even if the ML or FL realizes how much their actions have hurt the MC and tries their best to make up to it for the rest of their lives.)

Dense Protagonist: A protagonist who is oblivious to the Love Interest character pining and simping hardcore after them can be hilarious. However, I am generally picky about its execution. It can teeter the fine line between endearing and dumb/ annoying. At some point, their denseness can become too much (to the point where it’s no longer funny or amusing) that my suspension of disbelief drops and it’s no longer fun to read the story for me personally.

Unrequited Love: Depends on the context. Is it the writer’s intention to make it bittersweet and unresolved? Is the character pining after their unrequited love, and it’s the early stage of the story where the MC or ML/FL have yet to reciprocate? Is the intention to make me cry? For all of these, I usually like to know before I jump into a fic—because I’m a sappy woman who gets easily teary-eyed and I easily get touched by moving depictions of the human connection. So I don’t want my young glass maiden heart to be hurt too much, haha; there’s only so much abuse my heart can handle.

Crossover: At some point, I run out of fics (the good ones) to read for the specific ship I like. So I turn to crossovers, to see how my favorite MC can be shipped with someone else. If the writer’s good, they can blend the worlds and these cast of characters together seamlessly. It’s like a brain puzzle—so I have countless admiration for those who can execute crossovers well.

Time Loop: This is your usual Nicholas Sparks’ (a romance writer) type of story; a time loop is basically Groundhog Day where the MC has to figure out how to break the time loop—and I’m usually invested in the mystery of how they’re gonna pull it off. I’d like to say when I’m in the mood to read this, writers tend to execute the trope well (my logic: if you’re going to introduce a plot device, make it relevant to the story; if it can be omitted and it doesn’t detract from the experience, then it doesn’t need to be there).

Hurt/ Comfort: To an extent. It’s the same as Fluff or Angst for me. Moderation is key.

Sex Pollen & Bang or Die: Similar to how I regard PWPs.

Arranged Marriage: Generally I will like if executed well. I almost put this in Tier 3, because I more often than not don’t usually click on a fic if I see this trope tagged (because my brain thinks about the irl implications). BUT…it is the premise of almost every transmigration (isekai) light novel or manhua/manhwa I read—and they work because it’s a fish out of water story where the MC finds out there they have an arranged marriage to a king, prince, duke, noble, knight, etc with a certain cruel or perfect reputation, and you get to read about them learning about their real selves and falling in love over time with their fiancée/fiancé. And it’s so cute. This is my expectation when I read fics with this trope: a fairytale-like romance, where the arranged marriage managed to work out in this couple’s favor instead of it being loveless.

Baby Fic & Pregnancy Fic: I would not go out of my way to read oneshots where the whole premise is specifically only about either of this. It has to be just one of the ingredients in the whole long fic. Writing children is tougher than you think (you have to be so careful writing about them because you can toe the line between making them precocious and making them annoying), and some people are unable to respectfully write pregnancy characters, choosing instead to focus on the humor of pregnancy stereotypes—but the gags can come across as shallow writing than giving it the proper respect it deserves. So it depends on 1) the execution and 2) my mood. I’ve read a couple good ones, but that’s because the writer is good at delivering the concept that is easily digestible and frames the whole process of birth and child rearing as a beautiful process of nature and life.

Tier 3 (B Level)

A/B/O: I will not intentionally go out of my way 99/100 times to read Omegaverse stories. Shocker, I know. It’s just, for me, I tend to find a majority of these general A/B/O fics…shallow and of little substance. Most of the time, I find the writing can also be a bit distasteful, especially when it comes to the omega and alpha dynamic in this kinda story (in the wrong hands, the writer can make their story come across as r@pey and sexist/ misogynistic, especially if an alpha’s being aggressive and forceful with the MC because they’ve been affected by the smell of an omega’s heat—and now I’m reading descriptions of the omega character sobbing and crying out “no, no, no” and “please stop” and I’m in disbelief why people find this hot). I also don’t like the submissiveness of the omega character where it’s like I’m reading about a milquetoast wet rag who has all their fight drained out and has no personality other than being a hole that produces slick and blushes constantly. Also, for me, predictability is not something I like; if I can predict everything that’s going to happen in a fic, I will become bored. I need some kinda serviceable plot for me to be emotionally invested in an A/B/O fic or there’s some kinda hook that keeps me coming back. I can enjoy the rare one A/B/O fic out of one hundred similar A/B/O fics, but I am INCREDIBLY PICKY about what I choose. The premise itself is also very important to what makes or breaks an A/B/O fic experience for me (for example, if it’s a Dark fic, then I can be more forgiving because it’s expected for there to be dark themes).

Miscommunication: For me there’s no in-between. I will either hate or love this trope, depending on its execution in the fic. On the extreme end of hatred, I am ticked off when a conflict in the story can be easily resolved had the character(s) communicated properly—and it’s just so incredibly dumb. On the opposite end, miscommunication can be done well as a funny gag or a plot device that shows how differently characters can interpret a situation or words. So depending on which one of these the fic delivers, it determines how much I can enjoy a fic.

Love Triangle: See my opinion on Harem Fics, and now make my aversion less strong. I’m a wee more forgiving on this trope because it’s a love triangle where you start off with the MC, the ML/FL, and the love rival—and the story is about the MC choosing one of them. The other Love Triangle I’m okay with is if it’s obviously a poly ship where the MC ends up with two people—but it has to be executed well (I generally have to like both options for the MC). I’m more of a monogamous soulmate type of gal, so I’m kinda picky on the execution when a story focuses on the love triangle. It can’t drag on to the point where I find it to be insufferable. The danger with a love triangle is I, your reader, might come to like the Second Male Lead or Second Female Lead—and think they were a better fit for the MC than the actual Fe/Male Lead that was chosen just because this character was the writer’s favorite. In this case, the moment the wrong candidate is chosen, my interest in the fic dwindles and I feel like I’m reading a lesser version of what initially drew me to the fic in the first place. So now it’s the writer’s responsibility to show me why their choice is the correct one.

Angst: It’s like junk food; the key is moderation. I can’t have too much of it—otherwise it’s too angsty and the poignant emotional knives become laughable.

Humor: Humor is subjective, and differs for each person. What the writer finds funny might not be what I find funny. I’m more of a subtle gal. So if a fic’s meant to be funny throughout, it runs the risk of teetering towards me feeling secondhand embarrassment and cringing—because it’s too much and unfunny. But if a writer genuinely writes something surprising that makes me laugh, I do appreciate their talent at grasping the opportunity and having the know-how to effectively inject some lighthearted humor.

Fake Relationship: …My enjoyment level HEAVILY depends on its execution. It’s the characterization, their chemistry, and plot that have to save it for me.

Amnesia Fic: See, I understand it’s a plot device—which is why I’m a lil more forgiving. But don’t you hate it when all of a sudden a character gets memory wiped after all that progress? (I feel like I wasted my time just as the story was turning good, and now they have to start over? Kinda feels like unnecessary filler and it can drag on, and I feel like banging my head against the wall.) On a lesser extent of my pickiness, I don’t like it as much when it’s used as an exposition framing device, with the MC or Love Interest having no recollection of anything—and they’re lied to at the start about who they’re supposed to be…because you know there will be a dramatic fallout happening when they inevitably find out and that predictability (they fall out, and then you know sometime later something will bring them back together…the fakeout dramatic “breakup” is just so contrived and mechanical and formulaic) is what turns me off. (I don’t mind the amnesia trope as much if it’s used in a psychological horror/ thriller story though.)

Shizun F*cker: It’s your master (teacher) x disciple Chinese classic. I went through a phase of binging these stories and I find they’re generally all very good, but there does come a point where you start seeing similarities and not enough freshness with this trope and they all blend together (especially if it feels like it’s a pale imitation inferior copycat version of certain shizun f*cker classics). Nowadays this kinda premise has to be accompanied by something fresh and unique in order for me to keep reading—and turn my brain off from thinking about the irl teacher-student implications.

Secret Identities: If executed well, I like the reveal of their true identity in the story. It’s like you have this lowkey cute crush who has been helping you all this time—and you find out he’s, like, a mafia don or the CEO of a conglomerate or an international spy. It’s the gap moe contrast of who they pretend to be versus the secret badass they really are. It does come with the risk of some predictability for me though which can ruin my immersion (y’know…the typical MC’s outrage when finding out their Love Interest’s real identity: “You lied to me?! How can I believe you now when all you’ve done is lie to me?!” ➡️ A genuine apology ➡️ Fallout ➡️ Some sort of dramatic reconciliation after the MC or ML/FL was kidnapped).

Tier 4 (C Level)

Dubcon: It’s teetering on the verge between what I find tolerable and what I find unacceptable. As long as it does not fall into the Non-Con territory and isn’t written distastefully, I can read dubcon stories where the consent is a blurry line between these two characters.

Major Character Death: I usually don’t seek this out—because I’m a big weepy baby and I don’t want to grow attached to these characters and bawl at the end when the inevitable happens. But on the super rare instances where I do click on a fic despite this warning tag, it means I have mentally and emotionally prepared myself to get knifed in the heart.

Mary Sue Fic: As much as I love power scaling fics and OP MCs, it does get boring if there’s no setback or conflict for the MC to learn from. I mean, sure, it’s fine for them to steamroll over everyone but if I’m reading +1K chapters of them just steamrolling, they’ve become a Mary Sue. I want flaws. I want setbacks. There’s only so much chuunibyou I can tolerate. There’s only so much descriptions of how ungodly beautiful or how shockingly genius the MC is at everything before I start rolling my eyes. Fatigue has set in and the OP character has become an insufferable milquetoast Mary Sue/ Gary Stu who can do no wrong. My suspension of disbelief has finally been worn away into nothingness. This can also apply to the Love Interest character (I understand their role in the story is to satisfy the ideal dream lover trope—but please give dimension to the character). I want three-dimensional characters with backstory and flaws and an interesting personality, not Mary Sues or Gary Stus.

Y/N (OC Fic): If I’m reading fanfic about my favorite character(s), I don’t want to spend my time reading about a writer’s Original Character or Self-Insert character being shipped with my favorite. I went in to read stories with my fav ship—and only that. There have been the few exceptions to this—but me liking a Y/N or a fic with OCs is ultra rare.

Breakup: Similar to my thoughts on Unrequited Love. But taken up to a hundred. If there’s been a breakup between the main couple in the fic—and it’s not in the beginning exposition chapter where we don’t yet know enough information about these characters—in the middle or near the end, chances are I think the relationship is f*cked anyway and therefore lose interest in the main ship itself in the fic. Even if they get back together at the end, I just think, “Honey…you can do so much better than him/her.” Which is why I usually don’t like reading breakups between the main couple in my fics. (And if the breakup is because the MC or Love Interest is in a precarious situation and they think pushing them away is the best way to protect them, it’s a cliché that makes me roll my eyes because it’s been so overdone and ugh, why pretend to be awful INSTEAD OF COMMUNICATING?)

Body Swap: …It depends SO MUCH on the execution. I cringe so hard if a character (usually the guy in the body of a girl) is feeling up their developed chest like a perv. There’s only a handful of Body Swap stories that do this trope well. If two characters are swapping bodies, I want to read about how they’re trying not to OOC (lol) and see how this body swap impacts the story and cast of characters in any meaningful way.

College AU: I’ve long since graduated from college. Nuff said. Might give a fic a try if it’s well-written or a short PWP (it is what’s written on the tin) but, as a working adult, reading about petty school drama wears on my patience. There has to be plot to keep me invested. Might also read if it dives into college controversies or campus scandals—but the suspense has to be executed well. Most of the time, it works if there’s some kinda big mystery like there’s been a crime committed. Because now you have a whodunnit mystery. And that’s so much more interesting than reading about students studying and doing homework, going to parties, crushing on the professor (also, here, yikes…if you want me to turn my brain off and not think about the real life implications (the teacher’s immediate suspension (hopefully) and losing their teaching privileges and license), you gotta reel me in with the plot or characters), or the typical student college experience.

Gen Fic: It’s bland, milquetoast, mid and forgettable. It’s like sucking out all the fun elements out of a fic—and that’s not my idea of a good time. I think the only way to pull this off is if it’s a Character Study fic.

Tier 5 (F Level)

High School AU: Give me real men or women; get out of here with the kiddy stuff. I’m outside the age range to be able to enjoy this. As a working career-woman, I really don’t want to spend my free time reading about minors and teen romance and teen drama. And if there’s adult content, sorry, just—no. My brain more often than not associates it to underage s3x—and it squicks me out. It’s also so much harder for me to suspend my disbelief that this inexperienced kid from high school is like this super genius hacker or ultra cover model beauty whom grown wo/men salivate over. (Because…god no, I DON’T want to read about a minor’s “milky thighs” or “coquettish voice.” They’re, like, 14-16 y/o. Who wants to read about a predator who has designs on a teenager?) Also, unless it is at the hilarious peak levels of highschool romcom like Kaguya-sama: Love is War but in fanfiction form, reading about two high school students crushing on each other is 99/100 times so boring and milquetoast to me. I am not the target audience for this trope.

Non-Con: The real life implications ruin any chance for me to want to do anything with this trope. Consent is king, y’all. Non-con is a personal squick—and therefore I will not read if it’s what’s gonna happen between the main couple no matter how sweet and regretful the ML or FL acts after the act. It’s r@pe; I do not find SA and being forced sexy in any way. The moment I see that there’s non-con between the main couple, that’s ruined any chances of me enjoying that ship in the fic. (The only exception I can think of for this is if the ML/FL was mind-controlled or didn’t have autonomy over their body due to some kinda magic shenanigans. Or if it’s non-con framed as a horrifying traumatic experience between a character and the unimportant cannon fodder who’s there in the story to be punished as a villain and won’t be forgiven in any way.) I will not seek it out if I see a fic’s been tagged with this. And if I encounter surprise non-con in my reading, I will immediately drop the fic.

Unhappy Ending: I have a glass maiden heart. I tear up easily when characters die or suffer in a book. I don’t want to get emotionally invested in a story and its characters, only to end up with an Unhappy Ending at the end. It just feels so unsatisfactory, like I’d wasted my time on this long fic when I could’ve spent that time productively reading something else that has a much happier and better conclusion.

Crack Fic: Now, the one exception to this is if a writer jokingly says their story revolves around a crackship, but the writing’s so dang unbelievably good you don’t even think it’s a crackship in a crack fic (it’s a bonafide good story). But aside from that, 99 out of 100 times, I will not read crack fics. A crack fic is a writer’s attempt at humor. And humor is so subjective. What they find funny or entertaining might not be what I find funny or entertaining. Most of the time, it’s also of little substance and random and the writing is all over the place (which…y’know, I get it; I notice a lot of people mention they had a wild dream about this and that’s the reason why they’re writing a crack fic.) I’m happy that they’re writing what they find funny and I’m hoping it’s fun for them, but crack fics are not my cuppa tea.

Coffeeshop AU: It’s so mid and blah to me. It’s the most milquetoast Meet Cute out of all the Meet Cutes they could have chosen. I think the only one I recently read in, like, years, is because of a Art & Fic Exchange Bang I’d participated in. It’s so long ago. Basically unless it’s a stalker or secret identity or psychological horror story to make it interesting, I’d rather read anything else than a bland Coffeeshop AU.

Next Generation: Similar to how I regard OC Fics or OCs in general. I’m here to read fanfiction to read about canon characters of a show or book. I did not come here to read about a writer’s cast of Original Characters or Self-Insert characters. If 99% of the fanfic is about the OCs who are the sons and daughters of the canon characters, I just won’t read it. Won’t touch it. Won’t come anywhere near it. They might as well have written an original story of their own instead of a fanfic. (But 99/100 times, it’s poorly written and you can tell it’s written by a younger writer…eeesh. The good thing is, the more they write, the more practice they’re getting, so the better their writing will be.)

Bonus (F Level)

Cheating/ NTR: my brain automatically associates irl with this—and I find it despicable. The 1% chance I would read this trope is if the MC/ Love Interest is shown the consequences of their actions and the story promises that the person who’s been cheated on breaks up with them. Or if it’s a Mindlessly Self-Indulgent PWP oneshot—so I know to turn my brain off and lower my usual standards coming in.

Harem Fic: It’s Love Triangle—but taken up a notch. It’s so hard to write stallion (er0tica) protags that come across as endearing and not a playboy scummy f*ckboi. It annoys me if I’ve developed attachment to a ship or character and am interested in their relationship development (my waifu or husbando), but the story suddenly shifts to Side Character No.50 whom I couldn’t give two hoots about. The only exceptions to this, for me to keep reading a harem fic, is 1) if I like the storytelling, worldbuilding, and/or protagonist or main ship that makes it worth it. It’s very rare but there have been handful of writers who have actually made a harem where I care for and like ALL of the waifus. 2) I also enjoy harem dramas where the MC face-slaps every love rival, evil concubines, white lotus conniving mistresses, jealous queen/ mother, etc—and gets The Wo/Man.

Fanfiction Tropes (Writer Edition)

I’m much more open-minded writer usually 😅, so I’m usually open to try almost anything—but my criteria of tropes I will write for the story depends on my mood and the story’s premise. They usually have to pose some relevancy to the fic (which depends on its premise and characters) and satisfy my want to contribute something fresh/ interesting to the fandom if I decide to write that trope.

The biggest two changes are: 1) I’d move most of these tropes up into Always Down to Write and a few into If the Plot Calls for It. I’d also probably reorder a couple tropes if I look at them from a writer’s perspective (left ➡️ right, arranged from tropes I feel strongly about ➡️ the tropes I consider mid and don’t hold much strong opinions about). 2) I’d change the categories to:

Always Down to Write tier (probably 90% of these)

If the Plot Calls for It, or if I’m Curious and Want to Try Experimenting with It tier (I typically don’t go out of my way to read these, but would be willing to challenge myself and see what the writing experience would be like)

You’d Never Catch Me with My Pants Down Writing It tier (fun fact: there’s only maybe 4 or 5 of these I’d put here)

If you happen to be a writer whose tropes fall into ones I do not like and you know I’ve gushed about your fic before, know that you were one of the rare exceptions and I hope knowing this makes you happy. ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

[computercreature]

Dimple ?

YEAHHHHHH DIPPLE

sexuality headcanon: asexual. i think a lot about the famous asexual line where he says ghosts don't experience sexual attraction and how that. isn't true. he's just speaking from his own experience and that's okay

gender headcanon: dimple is transgender but he doesn't remember this

a ship i have with said character: it's actually crazy how ekureipilled i got. like idk it still isn't my favorite mob ship or anything but i understand now i see the vision. OMG I FORGOT ABOUT STUBBLE yeah dimple and his microscopic husband otp 5ever

a brotp i have with said character: hm hm hm probably him and mob! i really, really love that dimple's character arc is about listening to your friends and supporting their dreams but that dream being.... an evil ghost trying to take over the world. and it's played straight. and mob is supportive in the end. i also love that the one person mob can trust to be honest with him (with the shirt) is the jackass little booger ghost

a notp i have with said character: maaaan idk. like obviously the Obvious ones but uhhhh hm. ekurei has the potential to be scary but tbh the mob fixation has kinda faded for me so i'm not going ao3 spelunking anymore so i only have to play and frolic in my own mind palace

a random headcanon: i think he's a backseat gamer i think he's always telling mob what to do in mario but the second mob actually lets dimple possess him he dies after 2 seconds and never says anything again

general opinion over said character: IMPLE <3 he's so fun again he's a fun approach to the "evil nonthreatening sidekick" type. and also a very funny take on the cutesy animal sidekick. nipple the green boy!

[writingpromptsworld]

Prompt #53

By @writingpromptsworld

A forming of thoughts seethed into the hero’s head, whilst he watched the villain flirt with their sidekick. Perhaps, a feeling that he wasn't quite ready to name it yet. An emotion that he so long ago buried inside of him that was menacing to rise again. He watched as his sidekick blushed, hearing the villain's words. What words, the hero didn't want to know.

When he first arrived at the location, he didn't expect their sidekick to be with the villain. But now what? The sidekick is with the villain, what was he to make of that? Was the sidekick betraying him? He shook his head, trying to get it out of his head, even though he failed to do so miserably. He was hiding behind a building, watching the villain and the sidekick still talking about something without a care in the world. He decided to slowly move out from where he was hiding, and just face him.

The villain and the sidekick didn't notice the hero until he was literally in front of them, with a gun in his hand pointed at them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The hero sneered. The sidekick's eyes widened, as the villain looked between them.

"Listen, it's not as it seems, okay?" The sidekick attempted to say, the hero advanced towards him, slowly. Almost like a predator.

"Oh, yeah? I knew you'd betray the company. That you'd betray me-"

"I was just-", The villain cut him off, as he too, daringly walked to the hero.

"He's here on my request." The villain murmured, his voice deep. The hero hated himself for shuddering at it. He kept his hands steady around the gun, but he didn't know if he could do it much longer, because the way the villain was watching closely while walking toward him, made him want to go weak on his knees. A beast awakening inside of him, wanting more. His breath halted, when the villain took the gun out of his hand, tossing it aside, carelessly. "You're not as mighty as you think, hero."

The sidekick stood where he was, stunned.

The villain's scent was so strong, the hero had to move his face away. The other continued, "You know, your sidekick is too loyal to you, he deserves more appreciation rather than your doubt. He'd never betray you, from what I've learned over the past few years fighting you both."

"You don't know him." The hero willed himself to say.

"Well, clearly, you don't either." The villain threw back, arching an eyebrow at the hero.

"It doesn't matter. He-,"

"Look, he came on my request to the superhero. You can ask him, to confirm it. Now, be a good boy and apologize to the sidekick, yeah?" The hero stubbornly glanced away, silent. If someone needed to apologize, it was the sidekick, not him. He should've told the hero about this beforehand, shouldn't he? He scoffed, shuffling his feet to the sidekick.

"You don't have to. It was kind of my fault, too. Should've informed you about this." The sidekick muttered, a little sheepishly. The hero exhaled.

"I'm sorry, still. Sorry for doubting you." The hero said, the sidekick smiled a little and ruffled his hair. The hero bit his lip, shy all of a sudden. The sidekick knew just the right buttons to push to make the hero all coy and whatnot. The villain stood there, smiling.

The real reason the villain had summoned the sidekick was to discuss the hero's birthday party, which the villain planned to throw at his house, but the hero didn't need to know that. At least, not before his birthday.

[glassheadcanon]

Dear Yuletide Author,

This will be my 4th Yuletide (time sure flies)! Thanks so much for being willing to write in one of my favourite, tiny fandoms. Gifts are enabled in AO3, so treats are more than welcome.

While “optional details are optional”, of course, here are some prompts in case you need more ideas, but please don’t let them stop you from chasing your own plot bunnies - the most important thing to me is that you find joy in what you’re writing.

General likes: Characters as narrative foils; unreliable narrators; Banter (snark, companionable snark, wordplay); Fluff (especially slice-of-life); Found Families; Hurt/Comfort; heists/capers; action, adventure, the martial arts, battle couples; unresolved sexual tension; mysteries/investigative work, casefic; travel and exploration; secret/hidden/fantastical worlds beneath our own; Magical Realism; finding beauty and humour in the everyday/commonplace; the supernatural, fantastical and whimsical; missing scenes, pre-canon, post-canon; crossovers/fusions; crackfic, crack treated seriously; breaking the Fourth Wall; teamwork, especially with a motley crew

Fic/narrative styles: Open to reading different POV and tense styles, AUs, 5+1, fix-it fic, canon-divergent, drabble collections, non-standard formats, epistolary, verse - whatever inspires and works best for you!

DNW: Nothing Explicit or NSFW (Gen-Mature is fine); nothing needing Archive Warning categories such as graphic depictions of gore, violence, or sex, no rape/non-con, underage or incest (canon-typical violence is fine); no unrequested shipfic (mention of existing canon relationships is fine), sexuality or gender headcanons

…onto the fandom-specifics!

Fandom: Night Hood | Les exploits d'Arsène Lupin (1996)

It’s set in the 1930’s, and from the Art Deco aesthetics to the witty, competent protagonists, these lighthearted adventures of this classy, suave, master-of-disguise version of gentleman burglar Arsène Lupin, his slowburn romance with bold investigative reporter Kelly Kincaid (and the found family/team-as-family vibes with her young protégé Max and Lupin’s driver/sidekick Grognard) vs. their nemesis: billionaire arms manufacturer Karst, and his cunning and stylish team of Countess May Hem and Steel - are little known and woefully underappreciated. (Check out its TVTropes page for more of an idea what it’s like.) Plus, it only has the slickest opening theme/intro sequence of all:

(Fave characters are Lupin, Kelly, and Max, but feel free to add Grognard and any other characters as needed - even if they’re not in the tagset - for the sake of the plot/dynamics!) Prompt ideas:

Time-period compliant AU: Team Lupin involved in unravelling another conspiracy or plot to hinder yet another famous person or historical event

Casefic, pre-canon, post-canon, missing scenes - anything that’s fodder for more Kelly/Lupin companionable snark, banter, and UST, especially if they’re situations where Kelly and Max hold their own more for a change (instead of needing to be rescued by Lupin) and/or brings to life 1930’s Jazz Age Paris and New York’s music, culture, fashion, and style

A crossover with Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane (even Bunter and Miss Climpson) and/or Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot characters (Chief Inspector Japp, Hastings, and Miss Lemon) would be absolutely fabulous

Kelly and Lupin encountering the infamous Dorothy Parker and her literary peers of New York’s Algonquin Round Table

Fandom: The Avengers (1961)

Those Emma Peel seasons, my beloved...these were my original OTP, and one of the first fandoms I ever got into.

Yes, the plots are off-the-wall campy. Yes, the fight scenes are...don't get me started on those. But with these two? It's lightning in a bottle. Utterly charming. As a little girl, I saw re-runs of this show when it aired on public television, and was completely entranced. They were classy, clever, competent, and above all they always had so much fun together!

The influence these two have had on my writing of romcom banter is simply irreplaceable.

(If you haven't already guessed, John Steed and Emma Peel are my faves in this fandom, but feel free to include others - even if they’re not in the tagset - for the sake of plot/dynamics! I've especially enjoyed their interactions with bumbling rival agent, Brodny.)

Prompt ideas:

Friendly competitions

Undercover at another highly specialized organization with a punny yet unwieldy acronym, or with yet another incredibly niche hobbyist group (let your enthusiasm for your hyperfixation go wild!) - bonus points for getting this stylish pair to dress up/get in costume for the occasion

Fencing (literal, verbal, or - even better - a combination of both)

Thoroughly enjoying a well-earned, scrumptious gourmet meal and drinks together after a particularly challenging case (work hard, play hard!)

Post-canon divergence/fix-it (Peter Peel never returns, and/or Emma stays with the Ministry)

Crossover team-up with Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 from "Get Smart": Emma has to partner with Max, and Steed with 99, and hijinks inevitably ensue

Fandom-specific DNW: I'd prefer no Peter Peel, The New Avengers (Purdey, Mike Gambit), or Tara King. But I do enjoy Cathy Gale a great deal as well, so feel free to include her, if you'd like. (Sorry, Tara King-enjoyers!) Yes, I'm one of those who appreciated Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale, but still firmly believe the series peaked with Diana Rigg (and I know I'm not alone with this here on Tumblr, so if you're one of my people, don't hesitate to give me a shout out! :D)

Fandom: Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World

This short series has so much to appreciate: journeys, adventure, survival, great marksmanship, a dynamic "odd couple" on a never-ending buddy road trip of sorts, often finding themselves caught in sci-fi style moral dilemmas within the social, cultural, and political systems of the cities and nations they're passing through along the way.

Kino and talking motorrad Hermes are my fave characters in this fandom, but I'd also love to see them reunited with swordsman Shizu and his talking dog, Riku. Prompt ideas:

Post-canon, missing scenes, slice-of-life moments, or casefic while visiting another new town or kingdom

The pairs of travelers get split up, and Kino must work with Riku while Shizu is stuck with Hermes.

Kino and Shizu fighting together on the same side

Scenes from Kino's training with "Shishou", and being taught marksmanship

5 times Kino and Hermes almost broke the "3 day" rule, and the one time they did

Fandom: Id: Invaded

Recently finished this woefully underrated psychological thriller/police procedural and highly recommend it to fellow appreciators of Christopher Nolan's Inception and BBC's Sherlock. Hondomachi is my fave character, but I'd love to see more of her dynamics with the rest of the Kura "dive" team, in and out of their "brilliant detective" personas as "Hijiriido", "Sakaido" and "Anaido", as well as where Asukai Kiki/Kaeru is concerned.

Prompt ideas:

I've only seen the 13-episode anime so far but I'm really interested in more post-canon, but would also appreciate any missing scenes, slice-of-life moments, and especially casefic with these three; what does the future hold for this new Kura team?

What circumstances might force all three "diver" detectives to have to enter the ID wells/Mizuhanome simultaneously once again?

What ultimately becomes of Kiki Asukai? How might she finally find peace, either within the Mizuhanome, or in the outside/real world?

Pre-canon scenes: how Hondomachi joined the force, and earlier casefic involving Narihisago/Sakaido, and the use of the Mizuhanome

Fandom: Ratatouille (2007)

As a foodie who enjoys cooking and baking, this is a fun comfort film to me. Remy is my fave character, but feel free to include any others - even if they’re not in the tagset - for the sake of plot/dynamics!

Prompt ideas:

Post-canon, missing scenes, slice-of-life moments

Traveling together to other parts of Europe, and getting inspiration for creating new dishes

Competing together (or against each other) in a culinary contest and/or a cooking reality TV show (Iron Chef? Zumbo's Just Desserts?)

Remy meets Julia Child (either for real, or in ghost-commentator form; if the latter, how would Ghost Julia Child and Ghost Gusteau react to each other - would they compete in Remy's imagination for dominance over his cooking style, the proverbial "too many chefs in the kitchen"?)

Fandom: Holiday (1938)

Only recently discovered this classic rom-com and really enjoyed Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn together in it.  Prompt ideas:

Post-canon fic with the playful Johnny and Linda gadding about Europe in style would be a lot of fun

Dares and double-dares

More of these two getting to know each other during their travels (you get the sense that they'd have a lot of hijinks and adventures together)

Inspiration for Linda to bring back the artist in her that she'd set aside for so long

Opportunities for Johnny to use his acrobatic abilities; what if he was forced to become a cat burglar to support this newfound, nomadic lifestyle?

Crossover/fusion with other fictional 1930's era, or Golden Age Hollywood couples: perhaps The Thin Man's Nick & Nora Charles, The Lady Eve's Jean Harrington & Charles Pike, or Dorothy L. Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey & Harriet Vane?

[marley-manson]

it's was a while back and i did send in a bunch but i'm really curious about your thoughts on Trapper for that character meme. idk if you'll be able to find it in your archive but it was the one where the last question was "cinnamon roll or problematic fave?"

Oh for sure, thank you 💖

1: sexuality headcanon

Bi, aware, largely comfortable with it but more discrete than Hawkeye due to lots of practice while married and also just being a chiller person who doesn't feel the urge to broadcast everything about himself to everyone. My default headcanon is that he was somewhat active in the gay scene back in Boston, one of those married men who leads a double life. He's not someone who seems happy in his marriage even without the war, there are lots of jokes about his wife suspecting he's cheating on her pre-war including one about her hiring a private detective lol, so it's a more fun way to spin that.

Also I like the idea of him and Hawkeye bemoaning the fact that they met in a warzone when they could just as easily have hooked up at a party.

2: otp

Hawkeye ofc. I don't have any emotional investment in any Mash ships that don't include Hawkeye so I don't ship him with anyone else, but Hawk/Trap is the closest to an otp I have for the show.

3: brotp

I wanna say Klinger. I love those moments of solidarity he has with him, and I think he has a bit of a crush. Trapper doesn't get a whole lot of interactions with others outside of being Hawkeye's partner though, so it's not an easy question. Like I like his friendship with Henry, but there's nothing that really distinguishes it from Hawkeye's friendship with Henry, eg. But I do think that he and Klinger have a somewhat distinct vibe.

4: notp

idk if I have one. I'm not really interested in any Trapper ships other than HawkTrap, but I don't hate them either.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head

Atheist ex catholic and estranged from his parents because of it. Chill free-thinker somewhat in response to a strict religious upbringing. And along with that, part of why he likes Hawkeye is that he's into Hawkeye's rebellious nature, relates to it, and enjoys how brazen Hawkeye is about it.

6: favorite line from this character

Tough one... I'm just gonna go with: "Klinger's not a pervert." "How do you know?" "Because I'm one, and he's never at the meetings." I'd like to go with something deeper or more interesting lol but ykw, the jokes are often the best lines in the show.

7: one way in which I relate to this character

Hmm... I tend to fall into the sidekick role in some friendships with more outgoing people so I kinda feel his dynamic with Hawkeye?

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

Not much. I guess some of the racist jokes, but none of the characters escape that pitfall so it feels unfair to single Trapper out lol. The joke about keeping Louise's car keys maybe? That one was pretty cringe, and intentionally so since Hawkeye makes fun of him for it.

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

cinnamon roll by my standards.

[skatehepburn]

💗 Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love! 💗

okay i famously am not a joiner so i don't know that i will reciprocate (but open call to @skyirons my fandom hopping bestie ilu) but thank you for asking!

i think most people on here followed me originally for hacks but i am a bit of a fandom hopper and a rarepair lover so this list will run the gamut:

"Til Sunbeams Find You," Dead to Me. Jen/Judy summer camp counselor AU.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2526286

I don't love this fic for the writing, but for the fact that someone hopped into the comments and asked me if i was on stan twitter (i was not, but i made a fuckin' account), and thereby introduced me to some of my now very dear friends. Was DTM fandom a hot fucking mess? Yes. Do we ever need to talk about s3 Again? No. Did my DTM standom give me MS? Inconclusive. But this silly show and trying to make these two characters kiss got me through some hard times and i'll always be grateful!

2. "5 Times Mary Jo Shively Almost Kissed Julia Sugarbaker (and One Time She Did)," Designing Women, Mary Jo/Julia (natch)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21707404

Just what it says on the tin! Someone commented on this fic recently so I reread it (love to never recall anything I've ever written) and it was fun! THE SUBTEXT IS SO STRONG in canon and yet there's not near enough fic imo. Due for a DW rewatch, is what I'm saying. I always enjoy getting to write southern characters as someone who's lived in Appalachia all my life 🫡

(this fic is also one i could show my twin without having to redact the smutty bits lmaooooo)

3. "who's gonna lay in your lonely bed, who's gonna love you like me?" Dragon Age, Bethany/Isabela

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36349606

I'm sure Dreadwolf will get me back into the DA trenches but Bethany/Isabela has gotta be my rarepair otp. I seldom want to read a player character fic for an RPG (with the exception of maybe FemShep); I'm always drawn to pairing off the sidekicks. There's just so much AFFECTION between Isabela and Bethany in the party banter, and Bethany gets such a short end of the stick by the narrative that I really had to let her get her world rocked by the swarthy sailor with a heart of gold.

4. "in the morning i will sing," Baldur's Gate 3, Jaheira/Karlach

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55430185

Most recent fic is always gonna be on the fave fic list, that's just the way it goes. In my first playthrough of bg3 my character pined for Jaheira unrequitedly and in my second I'm romancing Karlach as Shadowheart, so why not combine the two into some smut with a side of party banter! And I clearly have a thing for a bit of an age gap/hero worship dynamic as evidenced by *gestures at ao3 account*

(also tr*cy w*les's chronically online era is not helping my jaheira fixation... love that she ships her with everybody tho we stan an absolute icon)

5. "ring the bells that still can ring," Hacks, Deborah/Ava

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32184166

firstly: i wrote this fic so i could make that shrek/leonard cohen joke. i'm sorry, or you're welcome, as appropriate.

secondly: i wrote this fic before so many things happened! hacks season 2, developing an incurable progressive chronic illness, getting married myself!

my wife rarely reads my fic (they support it fully! including meeting fandom friends on our honeymoon lmaoo luv u [redacted]). but i will occasionally gently ask if they'll take a peek at something, because, well, they're the person that taught me everything i know about love, so it goes into the writing!

it took them a long time to read this fic (or it at least felt like it), but when they did, they sent me a notesapp full of annotated reactions... 6 months later , after a decade together, they proposed in a drivethru.

which is to say: i'm pretty sure this fic is the reason i'm currently married, so it will always be my favorite <3