#poly relationships are the best way to solve love triangles

[fuck-off-im-ace]

Oh don't get me wrong, I adore Jade with all my heart. I'm just too excited with the possibility of a love triangle between three women. And not just any women but the chosen one, the heir/princess and the knight. It's juicy and I haven't seen it done in any other show. I do think Airk will most likely survive but I'm also certain that Elora doesn't feel for him and that she's just enamored with the idea of him.

Kit though, she is clearly the one Elora has connected with the most in the whole show, firstly through hatred and jealousy and then it seems that they genuinely found common ground. Idk if I'm reading too much into it but they connect and take a leap of faith together, and it's interesting how Elora's all about "love being stronger than anything" in the first episode and then when they have to jump, it's that what pushes her to believe and overcome the obstacle that is the Shattered Sea, meaning that Kit and Elora's love and connection is stronger than anything. (Don't mind me I just like headcanoning shit in my head and maybe this is just too much of a reach).

Now if they got engaged, I think Elora would slowly start falling for Kit (while Kit's in a relationship with Jade but they have to pretend for the public) because let's be honest, Kit's magnetic and she's just someone that challenges Elora and makes her a better person. And Elora needs her and needs someone who can push her to her limits like Kit would do, like she's done the whole season. They just have that spark that Graydon and Elora lack, imo.

God I'm sorry for sending you so many asks, I'm just interested in your point of view!

Never apologise for the asks, its always fun to theorize about characters!

It would be pretty fun to have a wlw love triangle, but i tend to find them hard to watch, cause i'm polyamorous, and usually shows go for the "You cannot love more than one person, you have to chose!" way and it just sucks. Like this is a tv show, you can make your characters poly, nothing is stopping you. So i always hate when they lose good opportunities and just go with either someone dies or someone gives up to solve their triangles. Its lazy writing.

Now. Kit having two girlfriends? Thats something i can get behind. The princess who is always chosen as a second option, the left behind one, ending up chosen by two? Jade, loving someone who loves her back, trusting in that love. And with Elora there, she doesnt have to feel bad for leaving for knight training or family visits. Kit having Elora to rule with, both of them trusting each other, the heart and soul of the kingdom (we all know none of them have a braincell, thats why they need Jade). Elora have someone that cares about her, not about her history or legacy. Kit have someone that will call her out on her bullshit, but always be there for her.

I got so much more thoughts about them, but this is enough for now. Final point is just that i want Jade to be happy, and a poly couple is the best way to make everyone (including myself) happy!

[daily-hp-shitposts]

Andromeda: Love triangles are so overrated if you're into me then we're now dating

Rabastan: I'm into you

Ted: I am also into you

Andromeda: Then we're all dating end of story

[thatonefandomjumper]

Y’know, I am very much a solve a love triangle with polyamory person, but I think the only exception to this rule I have is Leo, Jason and Nico.

Like, I’m a big fan of Jasico, Valdangelo and Valgrace but together in one big relationship doesn’t do it for me.

I think the best way I can explain it is in the way that each one of these relationship really delves into these characters personalities in very different ways. Jasico is what you get when you have someone who will never give up on you no matter how much you push them away because you both know that you are worthy of love and they won’t stop until they’ve heard you admit it. Valdangelo is big on parallels and two different, yet disturbingly similar individuals coming together to find someone they can really understand. And Valgrace has the whole prophecy of seven backing them up. Two people who were doomed from the start. They can’t both make it, but do everything in their power to make sure their story doesn’t end in tragedy, even though it is inevitable.

Throwing them all together in one big relationship however, though it definitely can work in the hands of a competent writer, feels more like an easy solution, or just someone who thought I'd be cute rather than something to be narratively dissected.

Though of course, if you can find the same meaning in the poly ship as you do with them individually, please let me know because I’m genuinely really interested if that’s the case.

[nightwings-bussy]

guess who's still on their bullshit? it's me. it's always me. i'm going to talk about why dickkorybabs is a fantastic ship and you should ship it, let's just go character by character

dick. dickie boy. sweet richard john grayson. you're so queer and they just don't know what to do with you, do they. you're so queer that your serial monogamy in every comic since the 90's literally comes off not as "playboy" behavior but as honest to god suspicious, like the writers understand that if they leave you single for so much as a panel or two, it'll become way too obvious how gay you are. but no matter who they shack you up with, who your gf of the week is (and im sure they're lovely but let's be real... they're a placeholder) none of them compare to your Two Great Character Defining Loves. but also no one can fuckin agree on which of those Loves is supposed to be your one and only and as such neither can you - not because you don't love them both profoundly, but because you DO, often at the same time. that's poly as fuck baby. that's just fine.

because barbara and kori are both spectacular, but they each speak to something very different in dick: babs speaks to dick's foundation, to long held, precious bonds, to his loyalty to the family, to his place as the Prodigal Son, detective, prom king, goofball. babs is designed as dick's perfect counterbalance, the first girl he ever crushed on, the one who's known him almost a little too well for a little too long.

kory, on the other hand, speaks to dick's growth, his ascension as a leader, his independence, the formation of a new, strong identity that's all his own. kory has been a part of so many conversations for dick about who he's trying to become. babs and dick carry a lot of the same baggage - they've endured many of the same unkindnesses, survived under the same man's immense expectations and pressure, and that gives them a lot of common ground. in contrast, kory's never lived under batman's thumb, and dick has to fight off a lot of his more bruce-like impulses around her; kory helps dick embrace the emotional core of himself that bruce never could. she celebrates his openness, his softness, his emotional and physical neediness in a way he always thought he had to keep hidden. kory and babs have different access points to dick's heart, his vulnerability. and at his best, dick is an amazing partner to them both: dedicated and charming, deeply affectionate, funny and excited about them, trusting, respectful, in awe of them, confident in them, protective but not overbearing, a strong advocate and partner who's deeply and tirelessly interested in them.

but dick has a dark side that all his friends and lovers eventually see, and it manifests strongly with both of them. with babs, dick's biggest struggle seems to be his ability to trust her with his whole self, to be kind and fair to her in his darker moments, and (debatably) to be loyal when the chips are down. with kory, it's a constant struggle with his baggage; his difficulty expressing himself or be emotionally vulnerable after a childhood spent with a guy who rarely does either, his difficulty trusting anyone as much as he trusts his family, his conflicting cultural values around relationships and violence. without growth on his part, all of these issues represent a big hurdle to any real attempt at long-term relationships with either of them.

but triangles are the most stable shape for a reason.

let's cover this quickly, because i truly feel this is the easiest part to wrap your head around: there is absolutely no way, in the hands of a writer who knows anything, that kory and babs are not attracted to each other. it's simply impossible. babs is 100% kory's type (proud, stubborn, brilliant, competent, red head, warrior), and meanwhile babs is a lesbian with a singular exception. name me one lesbian who wouldn't be all over starfire given the opportunity. you can't. we don't exist.

also, on a personality level, kory and babs are just SO complimentary - kory's smart and strong and resourceful, and so is babs. babs is snarky and brave and domineering, and so is kory. babs has known the bitter pain of loneliness and isolation from ones family by a situation largely beyond your control. so has kory. kory has known the struggle of creating a new family and trying over and over to explain yourself to people who may not understand or accept you. so has babs. you could circle again and again why they're so good for each other, but you could also sum it up with the fact that they both deeply love the same man, and they could easily love one another just as deeply.

and then you start to realize how many problems it solves. queer dick? he's here baby. kory opens him right up - issues with being vulnerable? dealt with. issues trusting babs with his true self? kory says honesty only in this household. issues with loyalty? welcome to normalized polyamory, says our tamaranean princess. is he being a cunt to babs when he gets grumpy? now she has an advocate, bc kory never lets dick get away with that shit.

and with kory it's the exact same. dick struggles to be emotionally available bc of his weirdo dad? yeah, that's okay - babs speaks dick-ese. dick can't trust anyone the way he trusts family? babs is here to back kory up and make sure dick understands she IS family. dick has issues working through his conflicting cultural values with kory? well babs is a damn professional at overseeing Dialogues(TM), let her at him.

and on top of all that it's FUCKING CUTE. lose the jealousy subplots and the cheating subplots and just let kory and babs fall in love already - give dick the femdom supremacy lifestyle he so desperately craves. like it's just amazing how rarely i see this pairing when it's this gd good like WHERE are my dickkorybabs fic recs. where are they

[positively-patroclus]

the best way to solve a love triangle?

poly relationships

[xorax]

I just binge watched Outer Banks and I am obsessed ??? It has been ages since I watched a Netfilx show that got me so invested in the characters so now I need to vent (spoiler alert): 

» JJ, Kie and Pope DESERVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COST I LOVE THEM THEY’RE MY BABIES.

» Pope is gay and he’s clearly in love with JJ. I know, I know, we are suppose to believe he has feelings for Kie but listen he’s clearly in the closet and he’s projecting on Kie and convincing himself that he likes her in that way. I don’t wanna see him suffer next season pls give him his boyfriend. Also, I loved his relationship with his dad, they’re so pure.

» JJ is a bisexual king and obviously in love with both Kie and Pope. Also, he deserved better. His relationship with his dad, how he craves his approval despite the abuse, really broke my heart. And Rudy is the strongest actor among them, he gave me chills in every scene, the boy has talent.  

» Kie is amazing, strong, gentle, compassionate, smart, beautiful, she’s the mom friend and the best friend you could ask for and I love her so much. Also, she clearly feels something for JJ but she’s scared. The “did you tell JJ?” scene was a big ass hint. I also love her dynamic with John B, you can see how clearly she cares about him as a friend and how guilty she feels for not having been there when his dad went missing. 

» The 3 of them are amazing characters, they are nuanced, they have weakness and made mistakes but you can see how deeply cared for each others, they are the epitome of “found family”. I really don’t want to see a love triangle\drama between them in season 2, I want them to be happy and healthy in a poly relationship. They’re my OT3. 

» John B started as a strong character and I liked him but his boring ass relationship with Sarah ruined the character for me. In the end he was a shitty friend and does not deserve the Pogues. I mean, he wasn’t even able to say a proper goodbye to them and just kept asking for Sarah like ?? dude who fucking care about her these are your people, your family they risked EVERYTHING for you... I really hope he can be redeemed in season 2 and I want to see him interacting more with JJ (like they’re supposed to be best friend ?? but it kind went missing after 3 episodes ??) but I’m hopeless now since him and Sarah are in Nassau he probably will be separated from the Pogues for all next season and this will be definitely the dead of his character. Rip John B. 

» Sarah was the worst. I 100% blame the authors for that, the actress is cute and I love to see her interacting with the rest of the cast on social media, but her character is horrible written. Her whole personality is dull, we’re supposed to believe she’s this kind of girl who “pushes people away” coz she’s scared they will see “her real self” but ???? like it makes zero (0) sense... she acts like she has this terrible “dark side” she wants to hide from people but ?? she’s actually not hiding anything ?? She’s an entitled spoilt bitch and she’s not afraid to show it, and everybody love her regardless, she’s the most popular girl at school, her father adores her, she’s got the perfect life... How I am suppose to empathise with her? And don’t let me start ranting about what she did to Kie... she emotionally abused her (yes, ghosting and disappearing from you’re best friend’s life without given a single explanation is emotional abuse and you can see how Kie was affected by that) and for what?? And everything is solved in 5 min and never mentioned again coz the author did not really know how to write complex and nuanced females’ friendship. I really hope she dies in season 2, she really has not purpose beside being John B’s romantic interest and their whole dynamic was super fast with no building whatsoever  (also, they literally had sex 72 hours after they realised they like each other ?? what about the “feeling trapped when people get closed to me” conflict?). Her sister Wheezie is far more interest than her and she’s got much more potential. 

» Ward Cameron, perfect villain, I loved him. Manipulative, conniving, greedy, I loved how he is firstly presented as the good “american self-made man” archetype and gradually we realise how trash he really is. Moral of the story: there are no such thing as “good rich people”, wealth corrupts you and makes you greedier. Kudos to the writers, I loved that. 

» Rafe: my expectation are high now, he has all the potential to be an amazing villain in season 2: rich kid with daddy issue goes psycho is one of my favourite trope (tbh as long as the riches are portrayed as greedy villains I am on board). Also the actor is great, that meltdown scene in ep 9? The "you understand why I did it dad?" scene? That final scene of him screaming? Amazing.

I literally enjoyed every other minor characters (of course I hated Topper and the Kooks and JJ’s dad but I loved how they were written, they felt real and the actors did a great job, kudos to them).  Can’t wait for season 2. 

[katatty]

🌻

lets go fully cursed I am going to talk about my FFVII shipping opinons/headcanons/interpretations (about the original game, i am extremely uninterested in the various sequels/spin-offs/remake/etc. and all my “takes” about them are very negative lol)

cloud/tifa and cloud/aerith are both canon & arguments about which is more legit are dumb and missing the point. generally people in real life have more than one relationship????? maybe even more than one person they might have been interested in??????

to eleborate. it’s obvious aerith and cloud were interested in each other, they had a lot of flirty banter and aerith definitely seemed interested in taking things furthur and seeing where it would lead... I don’t think they were each other’s One True Love or anything, just two people in the really early stages of a relationship where you’re still feeling things out a bit, getting to know each other, not official yet, you know? when aerith dies their relationship kind of gets cut off before it could ever evolve into anything serious which is definitely sad. but i also just really hate how cloud is depicted as never getting over it, having lost his True Love... their relationship isn’t this doomed, earth-shaking, star-crossed-lovers tragic-romance thing, it’s much more grounded than that, i think

cloud and tifa were also definitely interested in each other but it was a lot more restrained and complicated between them because of their shared history and tifa’s insecurity/doubt. they don’t have that “easy connection” the way cloud and aerith do. they’re not Destined Soulmates either, they knew each other as kids yeah but I don’t think they really understood each other very well back then, they were just dumb kids with these idealised verisons of each other in their heads?

i do interpret cloud and tifa as getting together towards the end of the game after they have learned to communicate with each other. but i don’t know if that would have happened had aerith lived. who knows what would have happened! i dont think that “invalidates” either of the relationships, sometimes you’re interested in more than one person and due to circumstances you end up going down a specific path but had the stars alligned differently your life could have gone quite differently too yknow???

not to get into the remake thing but a lot of what i’m talking about is why i’m not big on the remake. i think in the original game even though the scope of the story is big, the characters are all very real, messy and human, just trying their best and doing what they can in a random and confusing world... i think those themes are very at odds with introducing grandiose concepts like “fate” & “destinty” but people like the idea of there being a “correct path”. maybe thats why people keep arguing about who cloud is “supossed” to be with, idk

sidenote: i also really like the relationship between tifa and aerith, their friendship isn’t shown much but the small bits you do see are so revealing, i think tifa is actually the character who knew aerith best out of everyone. i do ship them, too, lol

i do ship them as an OT3 but only if it’s explored with a lot of depth and does justice to all three of the relationships involved. it would probably be quite complicated and messy! i’m not a fan of the whole “solving love triangles with poly” trope & think most fanworks for the OT3 depict it in an overly idealised/naive way. actually thats true about OT3s in general but thats a whole other rant lol

[muffintonic]

My fanfic trope tier list! (I saw @fanfic-inator795 do this the other day and thought it looked fun, haha.) Make your own here!

Placement reasoning under the cut.

S

Friends to Lovers: excellent, very natural that your lover would also be your friend.

Slow Burn: I like getting absorbed in a story, and the speed that I read at means I need longer ones so i’m not like, “Aww, man, that was it?” Also, the slow burns usually allow for progression at a more realistic pace as well as character development/analysis.

Mutual Pining: two people who love each other and eventually get together....Nice.

Missing Scenes: I am very nosey about characters i’m invested in, and sometimes I feel like whole other episodes and such could have been based off of what isn’t shown in between scenes.

A

Sharing a Bed: I like seeing the different ways that people contrive the bed-sharing to happen, haha. Also, there’s usually a lot of funny moments when getting to see the characters’ panicked thoughts. (The Kico WIP i’ve been sporadically working on since 2015 involves this, haha.)

Established Relationship: we don’t usually get to see this in media, so it’s refreshing!

Fluff: usually goes hand-in-hand with the above, and sometimes it’s nice to just know there’s nothing but happytimes happening.

Huddle for Warmth: similar to the bed sharing one, it’s all about the setting....with a side of either fluff or panicking, haha.

Fairytale AU: i’m a sucker for fantasy, and it’s fun to see which fairytales people use and their personal takes on them.

Magic AU: see above.

B

Fix it Fic: i’m not usually dissatisfied with how canon handles things, so this type of fic is, like, solely reserved for BOTW, bwaha. I’ve been really into BOTW since I got it/finished it last summer, though, so i’ve been reading a lot of The Champions Survive/Get Resurrected stuff and the ones i’ve read have had excellent worldbuilding and such.

Hurt Comfort: the intimacy of patching someone up/the thought behind it....Nice.

Fake Relationship: I am again a sucker for contrived coincidences, panicking, and realizations (another trope in my Kico WIP, though it only appears a little and is fake married). These sometimes come with angst though, which is why it’s not higher.

Gen Fic: I don’t often see these, but I...like the idea of them (I have an eternal WIP of my own for WBB that’s combined with Missing Scenes)? Also, sometimes the world isn’t built quite enough or we don’t get to see it utilized to its full extent in canon.

Humor: I wasn’t sure if this meant, like, fics written solely for comedic purposes or something, but I took it to mean having funny moments in them?? I love comedy above all else (which is why most of the A tier tropes are A tier--the inherent funniness of the situations to me).

In Vino Veritas: having what’s hidden in a character’s heart be exposed in a way that usually results in later panic....Nice (as evidenced by my own take in that one Perryshmirtz fic I did, haha). However, i’m not a big fan of alcohol for numerous reasons, which is why it’s not higher.

Soulmate AU: I don’t often find versions of these that I like, but when I do they’re pretty good. Worldbuilding and slow burn is a must for these.

Coffee Shop AU: I never really liked these before I got into BOTW....hmmm. Maybe it’s because I don’t really like characters from, like, slice-of-life/normal universes being changed into something even MORE mundane/too much like real life?? It’s fine if it’s an adventure story being calmed down, haha (but, like, ONLY adventure--I don’t like the idea of fantasy stories like Strange Magic getting dulled down to that extent).

C 

*most of the tropes here are only not a D because I reserved D for the ones I hate/am most apathetic towards

Arranged Marriage: I don’t usually see these done well (bad characterization/not enough worldbuilding), and arranged marriage is still a thing that happens nowadays in real life so it’s kind of.....

Body Swap: I’ve only found a few renditions of this that I like, namely the funny ones where they’re all like “Wow so this is how it feels like to be a teeny tiny--” *gets punched.* Unfortunately, most of the ones for this trope are, like, either somehow super angsty or have consent problems.

Canon Divergence: another one that rarely has good characterization/logical divergence/follows the established rules already set in canon while being a take on “But what if THIS had accidentally happened instead.”

Historical AU: as someone who minored in History in undergrad, boy howdy is history a touchy thing to make fanfic about. I think there’s only been one AU of this that i’ve liked, and it was for a movie that already had its own version of history/the original canon wasn’t based on our world at all.

Time Loop: kind of a scary thing to think about.

Royalty AU: being a good leader is hard, which means there’s usually not a lot of time for gallivanting. Despite this, there tends to be a lot of that (and poor worldbuilding) in these types of fics.

Amnesia Fic: I don’t like it when someone forgets their loved ones.

First Kiss: I think first kisses are over romanticized. First kiss with the person who is now your lover? Good. First kiss overall? No.

Angst: reality (and sometimes the canon) is dark enough, thanks. Light angst with a happy ending is fine, but I seriously hate characters being subjected to one painful thing after another (I once read an entire published book where that was the case and I was just....so infuriated by the end).

Enemies to Lovers: rarely done to my taste. The two people have to be relatively on the same moral spectrum otherwise this DOESN’T WORK as a good/functioning relationship. Like, you can’t pair off someone who, say, killed their dad, spearheaded a war against innocents, and tortured the other person with the other person. Even when it’s someone who, for example, tried to destroy the entire universe, continually emotionally abused their only friend, laid siege to innocents despite knowing that it was wrong, killed the parent of that other person’s best friend, and physically/emotionally abused that other person, it’d be extremely short-sighted to pair them with that other person without AT LEAST them acknowledging how completely toxic they’ve been and spending a good amount of time (roughly equal or greater to how long they’ve been horrible) establishing that they have indeed changed and are making progress towards reparations and even betterment. Perryshmirtz? Good. Butterfly Bog? Also good. Those are the only two good examples I can think of.

College AU: pretty much in the same boat as the Coffee Shop AU, but sometimes I disagree with what majors get picked for the characters, haha. Good choice for characters around that age, but for some reason I don’t like it when characters get de-aged to make this work. I have yet to see one for older characters that keeps them that age--older people go to college! There was, like, a mom in my Abnormal Psychology class in undergrad!

D

ABO: horribly graphic, mostly non/dubcon, and reduces people to their biology.

Crossover: the media i’m invested in are usually so vastly different from one another that my brain just refuses to have them mix.

Dark Fic: like Angst, but worse. No thanks.

Major Character Death: I read the fix-it-fics to AVOID this, bwahaha!

High School AU: similar to College AU where I dislike characters being de-aged for this, which is unfortunately common. Also, Your Experiences Are Not Universal.

Crack Fic: I am generally a stickler for canon. Boo, absurdity!

Miscommunication: JUST FREAKING OPEN YOUR PIE-HOLE AND TALK TO EACH OTHER.

Pregnancy Fic: not a big fan of the idea of pregnancy in general (the squishing of the organs, mood swings and whatever, that thing where your blood pressure can get super high randomly, dying in childbirth, postpartum depression, etc).

Love Triangle: these can usually be solved by either 1) poly relationship 2) maybe DON’T choose the “bad boy” that disrespects you and is emotionally distant?????

Unhappy Ending: WHY would I want this??????? See: Angst

Unrequited Love: similar to the above.

PWP: maybe it’s my aceness talking, but to quote Doof: “Backstory, backstory, backstory!”

Sex Pollen: too much like PWP, but with more consent problems

Bang or Die: see above

Baby Fic: similar to Pregnancy + I....can’t really imagine a lot of my favorite ships with kids?? Like, Butterfly Bog/Potionless and Panlie, sure. Doof already has Vanessa/Norm and Perry is an uncle......maybe Po and Tigress if they adopt?? I feel like they could also just be teachers together and their students would be their “kids.” Meh.

[lgbtqiahistoricalromance]

Deb! Do you have a list of your top fav m/m romances???

Ok, so I have had this ask in my box forever, and I think I finally have an almost complete list…Happy Reading!! @posh-boy-clever-boy

Single Titles

Downtime by Tamara Allen (A sleuth and a librarian in a time travel investigation.)

The Reluctant Berserker by Alex Beecroft (Read this one for Beecroft’s amazing use of language to paint a picture, and a new take on the roles of warriors and bards.)

Think of England by KJ Charles (Portuguese Jewish MC and the sleuthing former soldier that aids him in this wonderful case investigation.)

Merrick & William (sequel) by Claire Cray (1799 NY; one of the most unusual romances I’ve read, it does have an elemental of the paranormal, but it’s woven in gently and the scenes are full of great tension)

A Private Gentleman by Heidi Cullinan (MC with PTSD from childhood trauma and vision issues, and MC with speech and addiction issues; not an easy read, but so sweet)

The Gentleman and the Lamplighter by Summer Devon (A widower and the man he keeps encountering at night, when he cannot sleep. Novella length.)

The Pillar by Kim Fielding (This one has a beautiful story of two men healing one another, and includes a lot of unique details not often found in historicals; features a lot of botan.)

Briarley by Astor Glenn Gray (WWI, May/December retelling of Beauty and the Beast)

The Replacement Husband by Eliot Grayson (Sweet May/December romance in an alt Regency era)

The Bibliophile by Drew Marvin Fraye (1880′s frontier May/December romances)

Stoker & Bash by Selina Kray (Two novels so far, and some great, witty interactions in this one.)

A Margin of Promise by Emma Lanner (Younger MC in love with an older man he’s basically idolized since youth; this one will keep you guessing to the end, because it’s a bit of a triangle. One of the sweetest romances I’ve ever read, and I wish the author had written more.)

The Forgotten Man by Ryan Loveless (1930′s Chanukah romance between a widower with a child, and a fellow returning soldier.)

Behind Closed Doors: Indecent Proposals Book One by Jude Lucens (Demisexual MC, Biracial MC from prequel novella, several poly relationships, WOC/biracial/poly author)

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Biracial MC with a physical disability and the reprobate best friend that loves him. Romance, adventure, healing, and a kick ass dose of assistance from one MC’s ace sister.)

We Met in Dreams by Rowan McAllister (May/December cusp between a younger man with mental health issues, and the apparition that comes to care for him. Plot twist on this one.)

The Blue Ribbon by Katherine Marlowe (A grumpy chemistry professor must return to his family inn, and ends up running across a wily highwayman. Includes a nice case solving spree.)

The Butler and the Groom by Katherine Marlowe (MC of color that is trying to work his way up in the household, and the stable groom that wants to teach him there is more to life than work; the ending on this one is a delight.)

A Wager Of Love by Katherine Marlowe (Poetry, philosophy, friends-to-lovers, and just an all around sweet romance between two young man that make a wager on whether love is real.)

A Scot’s Surrender by Lily Maxton (The Townsends Book Three) (One very guarded MC, and one that is always trying to protect his family-because they cause a lot of mayhem. Funny and also a bit heartbreaking in places.)

The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple by KA Merikan (A highwayman that is an absolute cinnamon roll, and the rapscallion young man he kidnaps for ransom. Slightly dubcon in one scene, but Julian is also a tease.)

The Art of Pleasure by KA Merikan (One young man that worries about losing his essence, and how he learns the ins and outs of pleasure with other men.)

The Wrong Kind of Angel by Ruby Moone (One of the first published m/m romances I read, and still a favorite. A soldier determined to live a quiet life where he can’t get into trouble, and the escaped rent boy that brings life back into his world.)

The Mistletoe Kiss by Ruby Moone (May/December romance between an older man with a physical disability and the young returned soldier that he hires to work in his bookshop. Christmas novel, but so sweet, I’ve read it probably 15 times.)

Memories by Ruby Moone (Two soldiers cross paths in an enemies-to-lovers scenario that isn’t at all what it seems. Strong elements of PTSD, but a great novel on healing all sorts of wounds.)

The Moth and Moon by Glenn Quigley (Alt reality 1700′s England, with larger MCS in their 40s and 50s)

A Complicated Affair by Kian Rhodes (Ignore the cover, because it’s nothing like the novel. Read this May/December romance for the wonderful ending that makes of research on law and medicine.)

Madcap Masquerade by Persephone Roth (May/December romance between the older MC that has the money to save the estate of the younger, and the young MC that poses as his own sister so she can marry someone else.)

Earthly Pleasure by Sara Trevor (Alt Regency era; this one is great for the alt theological angle and the outcome)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Deanna Wadsworth (Retelling with Ichabod and Brom in an enemies-to-lovers trope, part of a series of “twisted” retellings, the ending keeps it from being strictly erotica)

A Little Sin by Sionnach Wintergreen (1920′s rural Texas; WWI vet and veterinarian w/PTSD MC and a widowed sheriff; extra points for intelligent and plot-moving WOC)

Series…

All the series books by KJ Charles

The Duke & The Dandy series by Zakarrie Clarke

Surrey SFS series by Nicola Davidson

All the series books by Jordan L Hawk

SciFi Regency series by JL Langley

All the series books by Cat Sebastian

Dark is the Night series by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood

[demyrie]

Maybe someone’s already asked, but do you have any other BNHA OTPs/Ships?

NO HISS ERASERMIGHT ONLY I AM A MONOSHIP GREMLIN no really that’s what it feels like sometimes looool, but I do have other ships I genuinely enjoy and cheer on! I’m a basic bitch though. No edgy shit here, just the FDA approved Standard Queer BNHA Ships. But thanks for asking even if I’m boring!!

SILLY SHIPPING BLA BLA TO FOLLOW

Kiddo shippos! *DAB*

I love love love TodoDeku. Like. Todoroki just breathing steam through his nose every time oblivious Deku enters a room, shining with friendship? YES. Shouto hangs the moon by his gaze and their vibe is so soft and centered on healing!!! Shouto needs it. He needs the green boy love and it’s pretty much canon he’s never had a friend before and they both come from backgrounds of neglect and HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO PEOPLE OR BOND and *nodsnods*

MOMOJIROUUUUUUU *SCREAMS* PREP PUNK TWITTERPATION NATION they’re so in love and fashionable i cant, the sheer amount of blushing involved in a first kiss I jUST

Shinsou/anyone pretty much? in my hc he has a crush on the entirety of 1A and it gives Aizawa a fucking stomach ache of nerves and dread just like CHILD AT LEAST PICK ONE but no not that one not deku anyone but deku SHIT

TSUYURAKA OR WHATEVER ITS CALLED *SCREAMS LOUDER* FLOATY FROG LOVE HOW ARE THEY SO SOFT AHHHH guaranteed they just binge netflix and eat cake and popcorn and cuddle and Uraraka gathers tsu to her tummy fluff so her frog girl can stay warm and happy aaaaaaaaa it reminds me of me and Rae!

canonically I do appreciate Dekuraka because just … *squints* if we’re gonna have a het midoriya it’s mcfuckin whoppercute ai’ght let him blush and be a twitterpated kid ok… 

IIDA/ANYONE LET MY BOY BE HAPPY. TodoIideku is pure bliss and any fractal of the triad is bliss. TodoIida is hilarious and wonderful -- their personalities are so funny, with Iida being SO EXTRA and Todoroki being singularly unflappable but also secretly Soft. But I also like Iida + Uraraka in context of tododeku?? Like ... they would be so cute ...

I love KiriBaku / Bakushima because it’s just s-s-s-so pure. Like, Kirishima is such a Good Boy that he melts Bakugou with the brightness of his smile and that’s a canonical miracle. The way the shippers portray it is just so emotional and the only way I can lock into ships with Bakugou is explosionboy finally chipping a little off of the ice block around his heart and realizing he can Emote Softly. Hopefully after Breaking Down in the Fucking Loudest Way because … necessary. (in the same vein occasionally I’ll reblog a BakuDeku something or other, but I only jive with that when they’re way way older and have obviously done the DIFFICULT work to come to terms with their past and all the abuse Midoriya has suffered. Just to head off the purity police, obviously not fetishizing or expecting romantic relationships to solve, or emerge from, bullying =__= Bakugou is a little shit and has done a lot of harm, and could have done even more, but he’s learning and that’s better than the alternative.)

Well, I’m gonna be honest, I OT3′d (triangle) the big 3 before their anime debut and wanted to write so much dirty fic about Nejire and Mirio basically coaxing and praising Tamaki into a three-way (not like it’s a first time but like it happens EVERY WEEK and they STILL HAVE TO COAX HIM and everyone involved loves it, praise kink +100000%) but now I think it’s Miritama and Nejire + her best friend who worships her cuteness? But I dunno I’ll have to see more Nejire. Man. Writing about the ot3 makes me wanna do it though ugh I’m weak.

Adult ships!

Erasermight shut up

Midnight/me yep thats one of my faves. I’m kidding I mean Midnight/everyone, I fucking dig MicNight and AllNight like woah, but also can’t see her being anything but aggressively and professionally poly. She would D E V O U R a monogamous mate, you gotta spread that hunger out man. I know there’s a Mount Lady/Midnight community but I haven’t dipped my toes in! (*pokes fingers together* I-I have an OC … in fact I think the only OCs I make are Midnight’s current partners or her exes, like in Newsflash … and I think I just realized that … whoops im gay)

I like Erasermic in an ‘Over There’ sense – I loooove the art and I loooove the silly-ass shippers and can see why people adore it, but it doesn’t push my buttons. I never read fic because I exhausted all my ‘pining for your best friend’ tropes in my younger years and that well is dry now haha.

NAOMIGHT. JUST. NAOMIGHT. *jumps up and down* I DONT KNOW HOW IT WORKS IN FICTION BUT I LOVE IT IN ART

DAVEMIGHT? DAVEMIGHT but in the past, and sad, it has to be sad otherwise i don’t cum

Toshinori/happiness tbh

NightMight maybe once I meet the man??? Again, toshinori/happiness always wins you don’t even have to twist my arm let the man be loved

Those are my ships! Sometimes I get asked for fic recs for other pairings but honestly, I absorb all of these in a visual sense, especially the kids. It’s hard for me to sit my ass on one ship and stan it with the same fervor as Erasermight because they’re KIDS. They’re all just so young and have so many defining moments to go through (such zygotes!!!!). I just feel super happy and full of anticipation watching Horikoshi develop them

But hey man!!! if anyone has any really good fic recs for the aforementioned ships, please send them over!! I am always open to wooing and quality and am deeply, deeply terrified of and overwhelmed by the amount of fan material out there. SO. probly not gonna find it on my own without a panic attack. *shrugs*

[thatvixenchick]

We Don't Do Normal 6, 11, and 13

6: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

Nightcrawler is in it. lol But also I used a love triangle trope that I dislike in order to prove a point about how killing off a character or making a character into a bad guy is not the only way to solve a love triangle.

11: What do you like best about this fic?

Exploring poly dynamics, for sure. Getting to cover all the intricacies from within and out of their relationship was super fun to do.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

As is always a shock to those that ask, I write in complete silence. XD I can’t focus with music on. As for what others should listen to… that’s rough. Music holds a lot of contained emotion to me. Like, songs are their own stories, intricate and layered. So I tend not to attach things to music, and instead let a piece of music tell me what it’s about. Which I’m sure sounds odd to some people. lol But there’s a part of me that was to say Your Little Secret by Melissa Etheridge just to be cheeky. lmao (I’m joking. Or am I?)

ask me!https://thatvixenchick.tumblr.com/post/175286685798/reblog-if-you-are-a-fanfiction-author-and-would

[blankd]

blankd's (Personal) Tips for Writing Romance

Posting at the request of some friends from twitter.  These are some things I keep in mind when I write ~relationships~ in my stories.  I think they serve me pretty well, so maybe they’ll be helpful for others.

The Golden Rules - The closest to helpful absolutes.

0. Be 1000% honest with yourself about what you want.  If you want characters to have sex, just do porn.  You don’t need a half-baked drama to go with it.

Don’t be coy about what your work is, be honest so your audience can find your content and you can find your audience!

*Anything beyond this point assumes you are NOT making porn.

1. All characters involved should still be interesting characters even if we take out the possibility of them being together.  Characters have lives outside of romance.  They should have dreams, aspirations, quirks, virtues, flaws, etc. besides ~being together~.  Those things don’t disappear once they’ve found someone whose company and companionship they value.

2. Full-ass that, get weird, get risky./Tropes may be common, but they’re not rules.  Don’t neglect other aspects just because the focus may be on the relationship.  There is still a world these characters have to live and function in.

The setting often provides context and the soil needed to grow your characters as well as foster investment in them.

This also applies to how romantic gestures are not universal and falling into shorthand will bring down the quality and uniqueness of your work.

eg: A boy gives a girl flowers and chocolates, she loves them regardless of her interests (assuming the media in question even had the decency to give her any interests).

3. Author Consequences and Responsibilities.  The characters shouldn’t exist primarily to be sexualized, and if they are, they would probably better off being in porn.  As the author you are accountable for what you depict.  It is on you to do research.

The Silver Rules - Generally things that help with cutting the chaff, use appropriately for subgenres (eg: horror).

0. Just have them already be together.  The bulk of the action is not in how it starts, but how it is going and how the story or relationship will end.

But if you must insist on including the Origins of The Relationship:

1. Skip self-denial, it’s time to be enthusiastic.  No compelling story starts out with a protagonist halfassedly mumbling about who they kinda, maybe might be.

Romance isn’t a means or a reward for the character finding out who they are.  A functional relationship is about a character who knows themselves well enough that they know who they want to be with.

*A character can fail to identify who they are, but as the author, you must know and SHOW who they are as a person in the narrative.  However, generally speaking a reactive character clogs up the pacing.  “I want to be a firefighter” vs “I dunno what I want to do. /wistful stare”

2. There is a semblance of equality in the relationship./This isn’t a fix-a-tragic workshop. Romance is not a hostage situation.  A relationship is not actor and object or doctor and patient, it’s two (or more) actors interacting in meaningful ways!

This does not mean that both need to have the same strengths, but one shouldn’t constantly be at the mercy of the other’s whims.

3. Let them bring out the best and worst in each other./Tru Wuv never solved shit.  Nobody’s prefect and relationships are not a roadmap towards perfection with mystical checkpoints where flaws are erased after an emotional heart to heart.

ALSO “the worst” can mean they enable each other’s flaws that may negatively impact other people, NOT that they are constantly yelling at each other.

4  There is no finish line.

These can be character-centric conflicts or personal flaws, but they shouldn’t be major narrative ones unless you plan on going whole hog exploring it, such as:

-Sex is not the be-all or end-all -"Getting together" shouldn’t be the climax

These are still important topics to look into but they shouldn’t be the end of the story!

5. Love triangles/square/shapes.

don’t.

Unless you plan on thoughtfully exploring a poly relationship.

Rip Out the Roots of Stupidity

1. Age is a point of emotional reference, not a justification for stupid behavior.

2. If all the drama can be cleared up with a brief sit down, it’s bad writing.  If the characters wouldn’t sit down long enough to have a 30 second conversation it’s still bad writing.

3. Misunderstandings of the “this isn’t what it looks like” variety are punishable by guillotine.

4. Actions have consequences.  Hold characters accountable for their shitty behavior.  It nothing happens as a result then it shouldn’t have been included in the first place.

5.  Alcohol/"accountability removers” should not be used as a device for developing a relationship/causing momentary drama. (eg: "Accidental" cheating, getting characters to blurt out true feelings, drunk sex, etc.)

6.  It bears repeating that characters are not defined nor should they ever be naratively justified by their Tragic Backstory.

7.  “I love you” is short for “I don’t trust my ability to convey romantic gestures between my characters” at best, and at worst it’s “I don’t trust my audience.”

[hisonlybegottenbeysuschrist]

so i wanted to put all my samsteve fics in one place, so

in order of publication, earliest to most recent

Chores Schmores … In which Steve discovers there are limits to his powers and Sam realizes he is stronger than he thought.

Something (Captain Falcon Flies series) … Sleepy Sam is liable to say anything and Steve is a smug asshole. (Or alternatively: The One Where Sam is bloodied and bruised and Steve offers to help).

Home, Then? (Captain Falcon Flies series) … In which Steve goes apartment hunting and gets his way, and Sam has an epiphany. ***

The Little Spoon (Captain Falcon Flies series) … “Everyone likes to be the little spoon, it makes you feel safe!“-Jake Peralta OR The one in which Natasha, Bucky, and Clint crash at Sam/Steve’s after a night on the town.

Ordinary People Adventures (Captain Falcon Flies series) … In which Sam and Steve have no alone time, or the one where Bucky and Clint are basically children.

Football and Khaki (Captain Falcon Flies series) … Sam tries to get out of Thanksgiving at Stark Tower and bribes Steve into doing something unpleasant.

If You Want to Leave … Steve can’t rein in his imagination. (Or the one where Steve pines away like a lovesick teenager)

Learning Something New … This is just shamelessly unnecessary sexy times.

Distract Me … Sam is annoyed and Steve’s gonna fix it.

Cuddling Like Rational Adults … Steve still isn’t that great with the cold and there’s a blizzard on the way (Or the one in which Sam, Nat, and Clint Are the Best Friends Steve Would Never Even Have Thought To Ask For)

The Bullet in the Barrel (unfinished) … Steve is being a little too reckless for Sam’s peace of mind, the public is becoming wary of the Avengers’ power, and Sam’s pining is making him miserable.

We’ll Get On It … Just some of the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff. Follow-up dentist visit recommended.

Like Falling … Sam knows that romantic distractions won’t help Steve and he’s not entirely sure what will. (or The One with the Double Date.) ***

Infinite (Sam and the Wilsonettes series) … Sam and Rhodey try to settle an argument (Or The One Where My Faves Are Besties Who Are Working Up the Courage to Ask Out Their Respective Crushes and Are Both Too Into Being the Best in the Sky)

To the Power of One Billion (Sam and the Wilsonettes series) … Nat and Sam go toe-to-toe in a sparring match.

The Water’s Fine … Sam has to learn to lean on others (Or the one in which Sam is a do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do picture of emotional health) ***

What Do We Do Now? … Steve and Sam ponder their next steps

From Point A to B … Sam needs to move a box of Riley’s things. ***

Welcome to the 21st Century, Cap … Prompt Fic from the lovely AO3 member warhorse. "I was thinking maybe Steve’s developed a new passion for filming everything with his new phone. Sam is accommodating and lets him record them together only once under the condition that he deletes it right after. Steve’s procrastination problem and saving the word business causes him to forget about the video, until the random lame villain of the week steals his phone and disappears. Maybe you could have him running around trying to fix the situation by himself, while at the same time making Sam suspicious as hell?“

Good Answer … The Avengers are trying to work on their public image with some much needed transparency, but the phrase ‘PR nightmare’ has different meanings for Sam and Steve.

Lust. Love. Home. … Steve is a little shit who likes to seduce Sam in public and wear all his feelings on his sleeve. Sam is at a loss.

Taking All Bets … Steve would say he’s a betting man.

There’s Something About Sam … Okay, this was a prompt from an anon on Tumblr: It’s a love triangle, not a poly-amorous relationship. Both Steve and Bucky fall in love with Sam at the same time. Sam’s confused and is having a hard time figuring out his feelings. Meanwhile the tension between Steve and Bucky is getting to a boiling point, interfering with both Avengers business and threatening to end their legendary friendship permanently. So, I’ve never written a love triangle and I find them difficult to pull off (if all of modern YA is anything to go by), but I’m giving this my best shot.

Get What Your Deserve … When black and brown kids start going missing and the police don’t seem very inclined to investigate, Fury sends his Black Ops team in to get to the bottom of it. This makes Sam’s first mission as Black Ops leader and he doesn’t want to mess it up. Problem is, he’s a little distracted dealing with his confusing-as-hell relationship with Steve, babysitting teenage superheroes who definitely act their age, and trying to get Rhodey, Luke, and Misty to be nice to the white girl on their *Black* op. Can the Black Ops team solve the mystery of the missing children of color? Can Rhodey come to terms with his assignment detail as English teacher? Will Sam and Steve have a happily-ever-after? Will Misty stop calling Sharon ‘White Girl’? These really are the questions. :D

Make It Better … Steve effortlessly makes it all better.

Pinterest Wet Dream … Sam comes over and helps Steve make Halloween treats and Steve finally figures out what Sam has been saying all along.

So Gross … Claire and Luke host a Halloween party. This is a pseudo-sequel to Pinterest Wet Dream (although they can definitely be read independently of each other.)

Up for Interpretation ...  In a moment of panic, Sam tells his mom he's dating Steve and now, he sort of has to date Steve... ***

Pilgrims and Cowboys and Dry Ass Turkey … Thanksgiving plans and a surprise

Use Me … Steve wants to avoid making decisions

Well-Adjusted … In which Steve realizes that Sam might not be the noble pillar of strength he’s always imagined him to be. ***

How It Ends … Steve is trynna hit it.

Lucky … Steve is hunting Hydra in Europe while Sam holds down the fort as Captain America in America, but nothing is easy and sometimes you just have to hope for some luck. ***

Do Something … After the events of CACW, Sam and Steve are in hiding in Costa Rica and they’re both a bit irritated with their situation and have very different ideas about how to cope. ***

All Figured Out (Kiss and Make Up series) … Sam is telling some big lies and Steve isn’t too happy. (Or the one where Sam doesn’t want Steve to meet his family)

That’s Allowable (Kiss and Make Up series) … If you could have sex with anyone other than your partner, who would it be? (Or the no-good, very bad, dumb game that Sam doesn’t want to play)

i put a star by my favorites (of my own work, i know, which is totally immodest but whatever)