#ship | canon: if you love me let me hear you- i am dying to believe you

[empressofthewind]

Hey there, Meronia fan! Do you mind if I ask for Meronia fics recs? And, do you have any fav ships (from any fandom) that the dynamics remind you of Mello/Near?

You can't imagine, how excited I am to find your blog. Let's just say in my older anime/manga group who love Death Note mostly ship Lawlight & Matt/Mello, anti Meronia and are Near haters. So when I said I love Meronia, some blocked me and said I was the weird one. So, I never said it again. But now, after I got out from that group I feel better. Then finding your blog with amazing Mello and Near's metas, I'm so happy! Thanks for your blog...

Thank you very much!!! I'm so happy to hear this :-) in my experience most people on Tumblr are pretty normal about Meronia, and it's SO easy to block/filter users who aren't.

Unfortunately re: ships with similar dynamics, I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I'll put this post in the ship tag; I'm sure someone else will have an answer!! In terms of fic recs, I've actually set up my bookmarks page on AO3 to function like a rec list. I have 36 fics there each with a little blurb and I'm constantly updating it, so hopefully a decent amount that you haven't read! I'll pick 10 of them to link here for easy access (ordered by rating in case you can't/don't want to read the mature ones):

the roof by @lightningblade | 3692 words | Rated T

This is a college AU focused on the development of Mello and Near's relationship through a series of encounters on a rooftop. The writing is GORGEOUS, the progression is masterfully done, and it removes the element of the rivalry without removing the core of what makes Meronia such a great ship! There's also a companion piece up as of yesterday which I'm still recovering from (very very positive).

Dear Mello by @tzviaariella | 4158 words | Rated T

This fic is written during the canon timeline through a series of emails. It's an AU where Mello survives, originally written for the 2023 Meronia Zine but also posted on AO3 (which is what I've linked here). The format is really creative and I'm OBSESSED with the way Mello and Near's dynamic is written. The petty back-and-forth is very entertaining and in-character, and there's a certain familiarity and fondness underlying it that I adore. There are also a few artworks throughout which is a nice treat!!

How to Get Any Guy to Fall in Love with You by Sick_head_Sweet_heart | 7025 words | Rated T

This one has such a late-2000s fandom classic feel to it that I'm surprised it's only a few years old??? It's set at Wammy's House, in which Matt gives Near advice on how to make Mello fall in love with him. The dynamic is insanely cute and I'm obsessed with the way Matt and Near's friendship is characterised here. Them scheming together is something I need more of in fics!!

The Mihael Factor by spiritcrimson | 16 chapters | Rated T

One of the longest completed works I've ever read for Meronia and I have been DYING to find something like this ever since. It's a talent agent x singer AU, and it's literally everything I could have asked for in a longfic. A unique idea, compelling progression and a fun antagonistic dynamic that blossoms into a really sweet romance. It's a slowburn but it doesn't drag on at all, and the ending is SO well worth the wait.

3 + 1 by @squidish | 2423 words | Rated T

x + 1 fics are a favourite trope of mine, as is the general concept of Mello and Near behaving inappropriately in the workplace, and this one combines both of those perfectly. The premise is 3 times Mello and Near got walked in on by one of the SPK members, and 1 time they were caught by the whole group. The writing is SO delightful and there are several lines in this that are permanently lodged in my brain. I find humour in writing immensely difficult to pull off so I'm always in awe of authors who can integrate it naturally, and squidish's writing is a great example of that! (Worth noting that this one is slightly more mature than the other T-rated fics here, so I've put it closer to the M & E section; however the smut scenes are not explicit)

it's friday, i'm in love by @neallo | 2676 words | Rated M

You could read literally anything by neallo and it's guaranteed to be good, but to keep this list short, I've included one angsty fic and one lighthearted fic so you can pick the vibe. This one is more lighthearted, and it depicts a very tender moment in which Mello shows up at Near's door drunk and dances with him in the kitchen. This is a prequel to a bigger AU focusing on a casual relationship between them, but it also holds up as a standalone fic! It's unbearably sweet and there are many lines in there that made me audibly laugh.

Speculation on Demisexual Sex Drive by SayHiDestery | 4069 words | Rated M

The smut scene in this fic is so intimate and perfect, I'm melting just thinking about it. It's an established relationship fic in which Near has PTSD and has certain struggles with intimacy, and Mello guides him through it. It's quite slow-paced and takes its time to linger on the small details, which I absolutely adore, and the writing itself is vivid and beautiful. It also features demisexual Near!!

Winning the Game by clearmain | 4134 words | Rated E

This one is a PWP set mid-canon, immediately after the raid on the SPK. I'm a huge sucker for bold & bratty Near and that's EXACTLY what this fic serves. The way this introduces elements of rivalry and competition into their relationship is excellent and makes this fic feel faithful to their canon dynamic. It's a compelling push-pull with an open but hopeful ending that very succinctly captures the complexities of their relationship.

A Certain Hush by BlueberryAsh | 5434 words | Rated E

One of the first fanfics I read for Meronia and I'm not exaggerating when I say it changed my life. This fic has had SUCH a massive influence on the way I view and write the ship. It's a little glimpse into Mello and Near's relationship immediately after getting together. It's really cute and sweet in a way that feels authentic to the characters, and I'm incredibly impressed by the way it manages to give just enough backstory for their relationship to make sense without getting caught up in the details. Genuinely a masterpiece!

i want to hold you (hostage) by @neallo | 4 chapters | Rated E

The aforementioned angsty neallo fic! This one is an exes AU set during the canon timeline, and it is, as you can imagine, a very fraught dynamic done SO incredibly well. The tension is absolutely delicious and there are earnest moments littered throughout that are guaranteed to have you tearing up. Brilliant setup, brilliant writing, brilliant dynamic; just an absolutely stellar fic on all counts!!

[otaku-tyriq]

Hi again.....Thanks for answering my ask. Do you mind if I ask your top 5 (or top 10) favorite moments from any anime (can be series or movies)? Sorry if you have already answered this ask before.....

Ohhhh this ask is fun but also pretty hard to answer cuz there are so many anime I love! Anyways: SPOILERS FOR THESE SPECIFIC ANIME UNDER THE CUT: Promare, Trigun Stampede, Classicaloid, Yuuri on Ice, Moriarty the Patriot, Tiger and Bunny, Scott Pilgrim takes off, Vanitas no Carte, Naruto and DGray Man

1) The kiss of life from Promare

This and Galo saving Lio after he had been kidnapped just gives Galo and Lio as a ship major classic disney couple vibes like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White and has essentially sedimented Galolio as one of my favourite ships of all time for the rest of my days.

2) Because I am Vash the Stampede from Trigun Stampede

Literally the moment this entire series had built up towards, the two twins’ ideologies clashing and Vash proclaiming that no matter what he will always love humanity.

3) Every time Schubert says Beethoven Senpai from Classicaloid

It’s just pure comedy gold and cracks me up EVERY TIME!

4) Victuuri Proposal from Yuuri!!! on Ice

I mean…. It’s a canon gay proposal and one of the most influential queer representations in all of Anime. How could I NOT love this???

5) Live Liam from Moriarty the Patriot

I will admit this was a hard choice between the first time Liam and Sherlock meet and the "catch me if you can, Mr. Holmes” scene, but my final decision ended up being this one. Just the build up and Sherlock being too damn stubborn to even think about letting Liam become a Martyr. The speech of talking Liam out of committing suicide for the greater good and that he is not the monster he thinks he is aaaaahhhhhh i love it all. But I love this scene especially because I am a slut for characters jumping of high places to save their loved one.

6) You are not dying, Kotetsu from Tiger & Bunny

Literally the main reason why I ship these two and believe they’re in love. Just beautiful and tragic and Barnaby having learned how to cook Kotetsu’s favourite dish aaawwweeeee.

7) Wallace’s husband from Scott Pilgrim takes off

Is it the best joke in the anime? Nah there are objectively better ones out there. Does this line live rent free in my head regardless? Yes

8) That gay ass Dance Scene from Vanitas no Carte

Gay

Gay

Homosexual

Gay

9) Gaara vs. Rock Lee from Naruto

I had loved Rock Lee since the very moment he had shown up on screen the first time, but this moment right here, especially when he took off those weights, solidified him as my favourite naruto character for eternity. Just this boys unyielding determination to achieve his dream even without being able to use any ninjutsu is remarkable.

10) The Earl plays the 14th melody from Dgray Man

It’s …. Idk how to explain it, to hear a song previously associated with the hero of the show, being played slightly off key by the main antagonist sends chills down my spine.

[ourolite2]

ℛescherché ℛoles!

ourolite original characters feature unique capabilities and sins, alongside eesome endeavors and epitomes only seen amid swevens. linger long and think soundly of sonder; remember the memories of your childhood, the habits you harbor in your solitude, and know that these entities too have their personalized memories and ticks, their reveries and evergreen dreams long lost in the mist similar to your own. respect them, whether you love them or not, for they would... well, some of them would do the same for you.

readers are advised to download the google docs app if able for better presentation of the extended character notes, and dark mode is recommended in tandem with this! also, some characters are shipped canonically, but x reader and other x character asks are not disallowed! inquire and request as you see reputable.

this section is innately memorable, but it's particularly recalled for including unique subjects. these are listed as: disorders, disabilities and a variety of conditions as well as various races, gender orientations, sexualities, mythological origins and more. though in a dimmer light, there's a list of more sensitive topics including: racism, homophobia, abuse + neglect, trauma (especially that of childhoods), gore, death, violence, manipulation and more. this is your preamble of caution and context; to all who scroll further, treat yourself and enjoy!

☆ INDIGO ( maneki-neko! oc )

"Ah… your rings are pretty, I’ll be keeping them now … *big yawn* Hm? What? Are you still here? Run along, go find someone safer to speak with.. Heh, I’m only toying. I have a reputation to uphold after all. Being a maiden’s courier is a rather exhausting task. Now, do you mind? I want entertainment. Tell me about yourself, and maybe I’ll reconsider not stealing your pendant." — Mystery Cat. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ ILLŪNIS ( rusalka! oc )

"Daring evening, is it not? Where are your manners? … To rest your ignorance, I am Sentinel Number Three, Illunis — Europe’s Moon Maiden. Come, come, humor me with a drink or a jest, for I am dying for a dance.” — Sentinel Illunis. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ FRANKINCENSE ( churel! oc )

"Hiiii~ Here to see me? Nah, I’m not b—Hm… Might be busy later; not now. But listen, if you’re here to more cookies sell any more, I can’t risk not affording rent again. So stay quiet around that one. *Points her kusarigama over at her daughter who’s distracted with a box of girl scout cookies.* Hear me straight? *Nods weapon back at you with each word.* It’s very important." — Lord Frankenstein. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

☆ YASHMI-NOIR ( angel-child! oc )

"Hm….Mm… Hi, nice to meet you.. I’m Yashmi-Noir, and this is Frankenstein. *Hides behind Franky and peeks out at you, followed by Franky’s loving chuckle.* Frankenstein is my mommy.. Bu-but you jus’ call mommy Franky! ..And Yashmi-Noir can be Yashmi.. ‘kay?" — Sunshine. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ XĪN’YUÈ ÀN ZHŌNG ( ceo! oc )

“And yet my initial order to you, not to he, she, or they, was to replace the prior base with May Bells to embue the vanillic tones. Fix the issue immediately. This product’s date is definite, and I’m sure you wouldn’t particularly favor the outcome of its delay … Hm, I figured you have some sense. You’re dismissed, as for I—*finally looks at you, expression softening sequentially* have other matters to address.” — Mr. Anzhong. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

☆ JIHANE MEILĖ ( metaphysician! oc )

"Oh, your aura it… completely surpasses the essential nature of reality; have you already touched the ends of reality, miss/sir? Made your mind a limitless, tangible space? It’s an honor to encounter a warrior such as yourself, *mumbles* one who vividly represents the Seven of Pentacles, reversed and all… Heh, don’t give me that look! Let’s bargain a lil’, m’kay? Open your wisdom and bestow mind-independent certainty upon me in return for… m’name? How does that sound?" — Sinning Star. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ CIRCE YUÈ'LI ( vampire! oc )

“Oh? Fending for yourself? Sweetheart, you're assuming I'm a threat while wandering through my backyard. .. You were 'lost'? Really? Hm. Did you maybe receive an invitation to my abode while you uh.. wandered? ... No, right? Okay. State your business or join me as dinner, you're kinda already starting off on the wrong foot.. Still though, I'm not picky, I haven't had some good buttered thighs since like three dynasties ago.” — Sir Circe. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

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oneshots.

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⑅ ourolite productions. all rights fucking reserved, do not plagiarize.

[medievildead]

for the ship opinion bingo kratos/heimdall 👉👈

HOOOO BOY SORRY THIS TURNED INTO A RANT however you did ask for my opinion and this is my blog so you know what. I am gonna post it. And this will be the only time I talk about it.

I reeeeeally don't like kradall it creeps me out and I don't understand it at fucking all. I see people try to make Hear Me Out posts about them and AUs about them and it just makes less and less sense to me (and I KNOW this is bold ass words coming from me I KNOW) but the canon dynamic that does exist for them at no point to me ever at all in the slightest tipped me off or made me think to ship them. Never clicked.

Then again you gotta remember that I'm someone who has been autistic about Kratos since 2005 and I am so incredibly damn picky about shipping him unironically with anyone. Shipping Kratos with Heimdall knowing the kind of person Kratos is and what hes gone through to Become his new self in the norse saga just doesn't make sense. A lot of kradall I see (that isn't non/con honestly another huge reason I don't vibe with it is that a bunch of people use it as a bolt for r/pe stuff in the early moments of Ragnarok fandom) is just them in a very ooc marriage situation I can't wrap my head around. Throwing Kratos into a heavy intense relationship is dumb to me like it took him centuries to fucking get over Lysandra and then moving on to Faye and I'm expected to belive the Hear Me Out posts about why Kratos would be in a long term relationship with.... Heimdall? The guy who is a complete prick to giants? Who actively said misogynistic shit about Atreus' mom who Kratos still loves with his whole heart? And threatened to actively kill his 14 year old son? Kratos's son? Kratos who has lifelong trauma about his child dying from war? I'm not buying it im sorry. No way you cook it will convince me.

In the early points of the ships existence honestly felt to me like people who were into Heimdall just wanted to explore a crutch for brat breaking. But its just genuinley not something I'm into. I'm a firm believer of ship and let ship as long as its harmless and for the most part it is! It's people having fun but it's not for me and never, ever ever will be no matter what and there is a reason I don't talk about it on this blog.

I've been in this fandom a long time and let me say Kratos x Heimdall reminds me a lot of when GoW3 came out and people started shipping and writing tons of Kratos x Hermes dubcon stuff for the sole reason of yaoi fujoshi people wanted to fetishize the gay male power dynamic. Its like I honestly feel some people see a big muscular man and a smaller effeminate man and are like "oh I need to make one a submissive girl" like again I know its just words and pictures on a screen but I have been here long enough to be Very Tired of seeing my sexuality get used as a fetish tool sjshskdnks

And. And ill be honest. And this is petty and trust me this is literally just me and my opinion but I cannot fucking stress how utterly confused and flabbergasted because FREYR IS RIGHT FUCKING THERE. HE IS RIGHT FUCKING THERE. BLATANTLY INTO KRATOS, A COMPLETE KIND SWEETHEART FULL OF LOVE, EXACTLY THE KIND OF GUY THAT WOULD SHOW KRATOS A GOOD TIME AND HAS AN ADORABLE ONSCREEN DYNAMIC THAT DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO BE AU'd OR CHANGED TO MAKE SENSE AND THIS FANDOM DOES NOTHING WITH IT. I see so many AUs where Heimdall survives to get with Kratos and valid but you know what??? I am gonna be angry, WHERE ARE MY FREYR LIVES AUs. WHERE ARE MY AUs WHERE FREYR LIVES AND GETS KRATOS ASCENDED ON THAT VANAHEIM ZA???????

LIKE FORREAL. I honestly feel like this fandom gets so blindsided by Heimdall and wanting to put him in situations and hell I'm guilty of it too, but I have genuinley met GoW Heimdall likers that straight up forgot Freyr existed and it shocks me. I don't get it!!!!!!

Theres a reason I ship Heimdall x Hermes together and its because their individual dynamics are so unbelievably compatible and I like to explore that. But I get people wanting something more realistic in universe as a muse. When it does come to shipping Heimdall with someone else in canon that makes absolute dynamic sense to me, I gotta be honest, Heimdall x Gná is the only "heimdall gets a dom" pairing that I can realistically get behind. Since they both would actually like each other despite being hated by all their peers for their devotion to Odin. Is it healthy? No, but Kradall isn't exactly peaches and cream either. So we work with what we got babey!!!!

[seeyouonsaturn]

Hello! I've recentlyl found your blog and it's made me so nostalgic. You've managed to find fanart that I thought was lost to time. I was in love with prowl back in 2009 and these days he's a platonic f/o! I ship to optimus and bulkhead now! I'd very much like to hear about your oc! (selfshipping-haven)

AW THANK YOU!! God yeah he was my first real love tbh. I'd had little baby crushes before but Prowl unlocked things in me I didn't even know I had when I discovered TFA in 2011. I didn't even really speak English back then, I didn't understand half of what those guys were even saying but he was everything to me.

I haven't thought about transformers in over a decade until I recently made a new friend who's a fan, and at some point TFA came up and I sort of mentioned that I used to be in love with Prowl, so then one thing led to another and I looked him up just for nostalgia and oh. I remember him. We were in love. Turns out those feelings never left. So here I am.

Thinking back now I realized that there's a lot of things about my personality/me as a person that connect back to Prowl, because kid me wanted to be more like him, and I did, but I completely forgot where it all started. I do love that I succeeded to grow into a person he would like, it means so much to me. Coming back to TFA honestly feels like coming home. Returning to my roots.

Anyway, excuse the autistic rambling <3 I much appreciate this ask, it means a lot that someone actually cares enough to ask!! Looking at your blog though, I don't think you'd like Trixie very much, since her ship/story is pretty fucked up lmao.

I have two OCs I ship with Prowl (HEAR ME OUT LOL) mom said i could have two Prowl ships

So. The first one, Ash, I made when I was 13, and they were a very made-by-autistic-child-esque overpowered self-insert. They had a different name and gender back then because I did too but the concept remains sort of the same: Prowl falls in love with a human, all is good for a while, and then there is an accident that results in Ash nearly dying, becoming techno-organic to save their life, and sporting a huge scar. I thought it was awesome, then later decided it was cringe, and now I realized it's actually based af so I revived them. I am cringe but I am free. Ash is great.

Enjoy a preview. Kitty cat. I love cats more than anything and this is a self insert so of COURSE they have kittycat ears!! Probably processor over matter'd them into existence too through sheer willpower. Because they're neat.

But I did have a phase in I think 2019 where I briefly got back into TFA (but not deeply) and wanted a new OC, because I was in a very sad "noooo you can't ever make anything ✨️cringe✨️" phase. Dark times. I don't know why I let people convince me there could ever be harm in my joy. So I scrapped Ash and made a bot OC instead, because the whole humanxbot thing felt too self-indulgent to be allowed. And thus came Bird. (She also had a different name, but I revamped her completely in the past weeks).

I love Bird. She's honestly my main transformers oc. Bird starts out as a decepticon named PHANTOM-2918-4 (aka Phantom), who's tasked to spy on the Autobots, but over time she instead falls in love with Earth's nature and critters and realizes she wants to protect them, not harm them. Prowl decides to take a chance on her and train her (since Yoketron took a chance on him too). She changes her name to Bird because she loves birds most, since they can fly like her, but the ability isn't associated with evil.

Unlike Ash though, Bird x Prowl doesn't have a good ending because in Bird!canon, the finale still happens. She stays behind on Earth alone after everyone else leaves to protect it and honor Prowl's memory, but he's very much gone. She gets Yoketron's helmet. Their ship song is actually what this blog is named after (Saturn from Sleeping at Last).

[theimaginatrix27]

My Personal Approach to Fantasy AUs

I have received a number of comments on my Deep Space 9 Fairy Tale AU, Seven for a Secret, to the effect of "I love how you've kept everyone so in-character!"

I also recently sent a friend part of the first chapter of a prequel fic in the same setting, and they said they're not usually interested in AUs of this nature, because too often, they've seen characters written in ways that make them less recognisably themselves. But they did like my writing.

So I'm going to try and explain my process in a way that hopefully makes sense to everyone reading it. I'm absolutely not making this post to gatekeep fanfic, or to tell someone how to write their story, I'm just explaining what I do when writing a Fantasy AU within a fandom context.

For clarity, this post is about AUs where the characters were born into a high/epic/secondary world fantasy setting (I have heard all these terms before). It is not about charas being isekaied into fantasy settings for crossover purposes (that genre encompasses portal fantasy, doesn't have to involve the charas dying), though tbh I love those, too. Excellent fun. But the characters in those cases are still the canon ones, just being put in a situation. I actually plan on writing a series of DND campaign fics with the casts of my three favourite classic Trek series that are basically this premise, but that's not what I want to talk about today.

In a lot of cases, when someone has written a fantasy AU, the characters are changed so much that you could, theoretically, file off the serial numbers, switch out canon references and turn it into an original novel. This is also not strictly a bad thing—I've done it myself, and although that story never got finished, it paved the way for those that followed, so it's helpful in the creative process to recognise when you have enough material for an original spin on something.

However, for me especially, it is more fun to see and recognise the fandom characters, and then watch them navigate a story that is both unique and would not be the same without them.

Presenting Exhibit A: The Princess and the Dragon, a fanfiction for Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, written by my dear friend, @kohakuhime

This was one of the first fics of this nature that I came across in my wanderings through the blighted wastelands of FFN—Kohaku's fics were very much an oasis in the desert, so refreshing and vibrant were they, but this was her big fantasy baby, centred around a ship we both loved, and rich with lore and magic and mystery. It was also peppered with canon references, and all the characters were kept breathtakingly in-character—I won't get into spoiler territory, but let's just say I could hear the voice-actors saying so many of these lines, they were so good! My bar for this type of AU was set pretty high in large part because of this fic.

To be quite fair, Kohaku has said she could probably file off the serial numbers of TPATD, change some of the components of the magic system and release it as an original novel, as the concept itself (again, avoiding spoilers by going into details out of respect for this friend and her excellent story) is a fun twist on a particular trope. But although there are many original elements, it still feels like a Yu-Gi-Oh! fic, because of all the grounding points woven throughout, and how familiar the characters are.

This fic was not the only story I found that helped shape my approach back in 2012—there were a couple other fics in the Dragon Ball Z archive on FFN that also contributed, but they were both written a long time ago and I'm not sure they'd hold up nearly so well today. One of them was a fairy tale retelling (well, a Disney film retelling, but it was really good from my perspective as a fic newbie!), and this plus some other—shall we say, less interesting adaptations in the Yu-Gi-Oh fandom inspired me to write the fic now known as Wild Swans of Domino, which I'm not linking here because I am in the process of editing it up to my current standards. Seven for a Secret is, in its way, a spiritual successor to WSoD, though I do intend to finish the latter (and the sequels I developed over the years). WSoD was my practice ground for developing the approach I wrote this post to explain, and it kinda shows in the current version, because I started out simple, and then my brain started generating lore and places for more canon references to go and the story got away from me. That—happens to me a lot.

My approach with this type of AU comes down to one major point: If I am writing a fairy tale adaptation (it's usually a fairy tale adaptation that starts this for me), or some other fantasy story in an alternate universe which these characters are, for the purposes of the fic, native to, then both they and the setting must have some familiar aspects tying them back to the source material. The characters, especially, must still feel like themselves, or you may lose readers' interest, because "Benjamin Sisko wouldn't do that!" or "Seto Kaiba wouldn't react that way in this situation! Stop making him quote the movie's dialogue, it sounds so contrived it is painful to read!"

... Ahem, moving on from bad memories of bad fics.

WSoD and Secret are both based on a fairy tale I already have an original story idea for (several, actually), so I don't need or want either of them to be unique enough to divorce them from their fandom origins. Therefore, while developing them, I have done/am doing my utmost to weave in as many threads from canon as possible within the boundaries of the setting, and have also done my best to preserve the characters' personalities. And according to those aforementioned comments, I'm doing pretty well!

To be absolutely fair, in both cases, the fandoms in question are either another form of Fantasy or as close to Fantasy as a Sci-fi setting can get (Sisko's an honest to the Prophets Chosen one, for goodness sake!). But I do believe you can do this with any character, from any setting, if you put enough thought into it.

And maybe that's part of why I don't see it around as much, because some (often younger but not always) fic authors can have a concept float into their head or sent to them by another fan, and bang out a fic in a week that hits all the points they wanted it to without too much brainstorming behind it. Whereas I, a perfectionist and possesser of an increasingly plot-tribble-infested brain, can't make a single plot decision without pondering it for several days, and fret over little logistical details until I'm purple in the face (probably. I don't have eyeballs and thence can't look in a mirror). But I still think it's doable for any character.

To do this well, you must consider what fundamentally makes this character who they are. What traits would you absolutely have to keep (aside from physical appearance in most cases) to ensure this character was familiar to the reader who clicked on the fandom tag and subsequently your fic. If you ran across Sherlock Holmes in, say, the Pokémon world, how would you know he was Sherlock Holmes? Why, he'd be solving mysteries, and doing so by analysing all sorts of details, noticing things others failed to, putting pieces together that formed a solution others wouldn't have even considered, because the majority of those puzzle pieces were overlooked! And he'd probably be skulling shuckle juice when he didn't have a mystery to solve. And obviously he'd be autistic.

Are you imagining it? I hope you are. Now imagine a character, or several, from one of your fandoms, that you love. Imagine what you love best about them, what makes them who they are, from your perspective. Now imagine a setting that's different from their source material—there are any number of AUs you could pick. Now, think carefully about how you would write them in this setting, while focusing on changing as little about them as possible.

In Secret, Ben and Julian are both princes (this is revealed in Chapter 1, I don't mind telling you). The Dax symbiont is a Fae being magically bound to Jadzia, who is a mage. Their personalities are still familiar to the reader. Miles O'Brien has barely changed at all, because he doesn't need to.

And there's the single golden rule: When writing an AU like this, only change as much or as little as you absolutely need to for your story to work. You can, of course, have fun with how you change things—just check out Innate Conditions and its companion fics by @tokidokifish for a DS9 example (Cardassians are shapeshifting dragons! How cool is that?)

I hope all this makes sense. And again, this is not an attempt to dictate how you, personally, write your stories. I do hope you at least give it a little thought, though, if you haven't already. Most importantly, have fun!

[she-karev]

Snowstorm (Andrew DeLuca x Alex Karev's Sister)

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: One of One

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Ship: Andrew DeLuca x Amber Karev (Alex Karev’s Sister)

Canon Episode: Season 16 Episode 15

Mental Health Resources: https://www.nami.org/, https://www.aacap.org/, https://www.dbsalliance.org/, https://afsp.org/

Summary: After their massive fight Amber works at the hospital during a blizzard when she finds out Andrew went on foot to retrieve an organ in the middle of the snowstorm. She and Carina visit him in his hospital room where he snaps at her again and kicks her out of their apartment.

Words: 2623

Amber’s feet crunch the snow as she paces back and forth outside the pit in her scrubs, fleece jacket and beanie to keep herself warm. She opted to go outside for some privacy to call DeLuca and reprimand him for what she considers an extremely dumbass move. A few hours ago, Carina called her up to peds where Alex told them that DeLuca volunteered to go out on foot to retrieve a liver for his dying patient. She didn’t tell him about what Andrew said to her the other night because she knew he would be angry and want to beat him up again. At the state Andrew is in he might put her brother in jail permanently just to spite her.

She breathes in the cold blizzard air through her nose that makes it stuffy causing her to become angrier. She waits for Andrew to answer her 20th call today but it goes straight to voicemail again causing her to curse under her breath. She doesn’t notice Jackson Avery approaching behind her blowing hot air into his hands looking to see how she is. Amber groans and decides to leave another message hoping he listens to this one and knows she means business.

“If your ears aren’t frozen off when you hear this then consider this your last warning Andrea Vincenzo DeLuca.” Jackson looks taken back by her harsh tone not seeing the look of fury on her face, “If your ass is not back here in this warm hospital in the next 30 minutes I will go out on foot, drag your frozen body back here where I will warm you up by setting you on fire!”

Amber hits the hang up button, “Wow and I thought Vic was angry on the phone.”

“I am not in the fucking mood Jackson.” Amber snaps at him, “If you came here to complain about your latest side piece fighting with you over the phone again, I suggest you turn around and deal with another frostbite that will be less ugly than I will be with you.”

Jackson holds his hands up in defense and walks up to Amber’s view where he can see that despite how angry she sounds she looks scared. He puts his hands down and rubs her arms to keep her warm, “I’m not here to complain about Vic again, given how you told me to screw off when I did, I know better now. Also, I can see how worried you are about DeLuca so I’m gonna let the side piece comment pass. Believe me I’ve been where you are when April went overseas but this isn’t that. It’s a hospital three miles away and as long as he’s bundled up, he’ll be fine. He’s just trying to save a little girl instead of waiting around for a miracle that might not come. He’s being a doctor like all of us.”

“He has bipolar disorder.” Amber tells him in a broken voice like a child. Jackson’s eyes shot up at that new information, “He’s manic like his father, he’s not being a doctor right now and he’s not the man that I love anymore he is a mentally ill person who is risking his life and not considering the consequence. It’s a textbook symptom.”

Jackson takes a beat before calmly responding, “Okay look I get that your mind goes to the mental illness angle because of the way you grew up but maybe you should take a second before accusing him of something he might not even have. You don’t have the right degree to diagnose him.”

“I grew up with mentally ill people all of my life.” Amber reminds him in a strained voice, “I know the signs of a breakdown when I see one Jackson. I saw it the other night when I confronted him and he yelled at me and compared me to my father.”

Jackson shakes his head in shock and looks at her offended by Andrew’s cruel comment, “Wait what? He did what?”

“Yeah, you heard me and it’s as bad as you think it is.”

Jackson turns angry at DeLuca for hurting Amber when she was trying to help him and it shows in his eyes, “I am gonna kick his ass.”

“I might beat you to it.” Amber sniffles, “I know it’s hard to accept help when you need it and I can’t force him like I couldn’t force my mom. I know he didn’t ask for this mental illness but the way he’s going its…”

“Frustrating?” Amber nods at Jackson’s suggestion, “Yeah you sound like me when me and April were having our problems. Does Alex know about this?”

“No nobody but you knows about this. If I tell him it’s gonna make him pity me and I can’t stand having people pity me. ‘Oh, the poor little girl with the crazy mom, crazy brother and crazy boyfriend’ I saw it in his eyes at the hospital after Aaron attacked me and I cannot do that again. God, I know he didn’t ask for this curse but I really hate Andrew for doing this to me. It sounds horrible I know.”

“No, it’s not you’re not horrible.” Jackson states kindly, “Your just tired and you’ve more than earned the right to be. We’re both doctors so we both know that it could have been the illness that said it and it doesn’t make him inherently selfish but it is selfish of him to bring you down with him and not doing anything about it.”

“I know, I know believe me I have recited that mantra with my mom, my brother and now…” Amber looks up at the dark sky in agony, “Is there something wrong with me?”

Jackson can immediately tell what she’s thinking and shakes his head, “No there is nothing wrong with you.”

“Because I feel like everyone, I love ends up bonkers in the end so I think maybe I’m cursed like I have a pheromone that drives people crazy and makes them attack me when I try to help.” Amber wipes a stray tear away, “If that’s the case I have the worst superpower in the world.”

“Listen to me.” Jackson grips Amber’s biceps to bring her back from that dark hole in her head, “None of that was your fault it was just…a few bad spins at the genetic wheel. You didn’t do anything wrong.” This makes Amber’s lips quiver as she’s near in tears, “This is not your fault.”

“Please stop.” Amber orders as she breaks out of his hold, “Hearing that there was no logical reason for this new mental case in my life doesn’t make me feel better. It just makes me feel like I am destined to suffer for life because of my family and the person I love. So just please stop consoling me because I will cry and I really hate crying and the person who made me cry and I can’t afford to hate you too please don’t make me hate you.”

“Okay, okay it’s okay.” Jackson rubs her arms and talks soothingly, “You’re not gonna hate me I promise. No matter what happens with DeLuca I’ll be there for you, you know that right?”

Amber nods knowing full well if she can’t trust Andrew to get help when he needs it, she can at least trust Jackson to be there to pick her up in the aftermath. Over the past 2 years their relationship has grown from wingman to friends to surrogate siblings. She never told anyone this but she considers Jackson a big brother taking Aaron’s spot when he’s not here. He does what Aaron would do in this situation, comfort her and reassure her that he is always in her corner no matter how awful she is to him.

Suddenly Jackson’s phone beeps and he looks at it with a worried look causing her to be curious, “What is it?”

“DeLuca is here right now.”

Amber’s relief is stalled as she has a question in the way, “Why did they page you for that?”

Later

Amber quickly walks inside the pit with Jackson to find Carina and Andrew by the trauma room arguing in Italian. She sees the damage clear as day from Andrew’s hands that are frozen red, black and blue. The sight horrifies her but she keeps going with Andrew not giving her the time of day.

“Look will you all stop!” Andrew yells out in English, “I need to get back out there the pit is overrun it’s not that bad.”

“Oh god.” Amber throws a towel over his shoulders and opens the exam room door, “Get in right the hell now before your fingers start to decay and fall off!”

“She says as gently as she can.” Jackson supports as he leads an annoyed Andrew inside the room, “In now.”

Andrew is still defiant while Jackson gets to work, “Everyone is overexaggerating okay? We’re taking away your resources from actual patients that need us. Stop.” Amber scoffs at Andrew refusing to see that his hands can’t keep still because they are still cold to the core. While she pinches the bridge of her nose Carina admonishes Andrew for his reckless behavior in Italian clearly pissed. Andrew responds back in his native tongue still insistent his condition doesn’t warrant concern. Jackson sends Simms to get the supplies to start defrosting his hands leaving them.

“Okay I don’t know what you are saying but I am guessing your still insisting on going back out there despite the fact your hands are still shaking not to mention blue, red and black.”

“Can you just stay out of this? I don’t need your help.” Andrew snaps at Amber who looks at him offended.

“You clearly needed it when you went out there in an 8-degree blizzard that left your hands frozen solid!” Andrew rolls his eyes at me that pisses Amber off more, “Meanwhile I was here calling you and worrying about you wondering if you froze to death!”

Andrew looks at her with a vicious glint, “Well, I’m sorry for trying to save a little girl while you pinned over me on the phone.”

Amber shakes her head in shock over Andrew trying to make himself into the hero and her into the villain. She pulls her hair back trying to rein in her emotions while Jackson worked on Andrew who is still insistent that he is fine.

“Stop this is ridiculous. I need to treat patients.”

“You’re not treating patients like this.” Carina tells Andrew frustrated, “W-Who are you gonna treat? Andrea you're not a doctor right now.”

“Can we get my sister out of here, please?” Jackson is too busy to listen to Andrew.

“DeLuca, I've been doing this all day, so I need you to listen close. If you do not let me treat you exactly the way I need to, you will lose one or both of your hands, and your future as a surgeon, okay? So sit tight, shut the hell up, and let me get you thawed out.” That stopped Andrew as he sat still while Jackson worked. Amber leaves the room feeling frustrated and not wanting to risk hitting Andrew while Avery tries to save his surgical career.

Two Hours Later

Carina and Amber walk side by side towards Andrew’s room looking to see how he is after Jackson defrosted his hands as best as he could. Amber spent that time working in the pit channeling her rage into treating patients and it mostly worked as she is calmer now but still angry at Andrew for risking his life without even talking to her about it. She makes a note to herself to bring that up later sensing that he is still raw and will probably snap at the first attack. They pass Jackson as he exits the room and see Andrew in bed in a hospital gown with topical cream covering his still blue and black hands.

“I’m not really in the mood for visitors.” Andrew bluntly states.

Amber inhales and exhales, “Look um I just thought you should know that Elisa is okay, she’s in the PICU and she’s stable…thanks to you. So, I just wanted you to know that.”

“I do know that.” Andrew responds coldly, “And I also know that if you'd had it your way, I wouldn't have gone out there, and that little girl would be dead. So, I guess you're thanking me for not talking to you first.”

Amber closes her eyes as she senses déjà vu from the night of their fight. It started with him refusing to see the error of his ways and ended with him saying that without him in her life she would have ended up like her father.

Carina steps in to try, “Andrea, we were just worried about you. Okay, this is just like when Papa-”

“I'm not him, okay?! I'm not him! For the first time in my career, I'm succeeding on my own, without anybody's help. Why can't you just be happy for me and accept that? Why-Why-Why do you always got to accuse me of-of not being well?”

Amber sighs and tries to make him see why they have concerns, “There is a history here Andrew-”

Andrew interrupts her with a comment that takes Amber by surprise in a bad way, “Okay, well I didn’t accuse you of having schizophrenia when you had a panic attack on our first date, did I?” Amber stands there with her eyes wide as they look hurt and shock by a new low Andrew achieved in their relationship, “You know what if your gonna keep badgering me and saying I have a problem then you should probably get out of my place!”

Carina tries to step in while Amber is still frozen in shock looking close to tears, “Andrea-”

“I asked you to leave!” Andrew continues not bothering to see how much this is hurting Amber, “I don’t need you here Amber!”

Amber can only respond in a broken voice, “You don’t mean that.”

Andrew keeps going still talking down to her despite his vulnerable state, “Your right, it’s not that I don’t need you, it’s that I don’t want you here, GET OUT!”

Amber takes a deep breath so she can keep her tears to herself to not give him the satisfaction. She promptly turns around, walks out the door and slams the door behind her as hard as humanly possible hoping it makes it clear that she is done with him just like he’s done with her.

That Night

Jackson sips his glass of whiskey ready for a good night’s sleep after about 10 hours of debriding frost bite. After his shift he ran into Vic and they made up not even remembering what their fight was about. She suggested they meet at his place but he said no saying he predicts he has a friend coming over tonight. Now he’s still up waiting for his friend to show up after the fight he heard outside DeLuca’s room.

He hears a knock on the door of his penthouse causing him to groan softly but stand up. He walks to the door and as he expected Amber Karev is on the other side looking numb from heartbreak with a suitcase and duffle bag by her side.

He looks at her in sympathy and simply takes her duffle bag indicating the answer to her soon to be asked question.

“I’m sorry Amber.” Jackson can only say with Amber sniffling.

“Can I crash at your place?”

“Of course, come in.” He opens the door and allows her in where she drags her suitcase with her, and he closes the door.

[callofdooty]

Damn, I missed the Walruss bingo. Did you do Ajax/Keegan yet? Or am I gonna have to send another ask with ANOTHER ship lmao

Luckily Ajax/Keegan as not been done yet!!

These two... entirely snuck up on me. One minute it was "they'd be a cute pair" and the next it was "I am fucking OBSESSED"

I really do see these two as being quite a sweet pairing. Just two people who find each other at the right time. I headcanon that Ajax was the first one to properly get close to Keegan, and helped him warm up to the others. In "A Place To Get Away From All The Cold" (A.K.A "The Hypothermia Fic") Keegan describes Ajax as being one of the few people that has ever accomodated for him, likely the first person to truly know him as he is.

It's about the tenderness that you can apply to these two. The fucking. Softness. It kills me. It really kills me. And maybe none of this rings true to anyone else, maybs this is only the way I write them, but either way, I adore it.

SPOILERS FOR COD: GHOSTS BELOW THE CUT!!!

++ Also just a long-ass fucking ramble abt these two

!!!TW FOR DEATH, VIOLENCE AND OTHER CANON-TYPICAL SHIT!!!

SO Let's talk abt the not so sweet stuff.

The angst potential is through the fucking roof with these two, especially when it comes to Ajax's death. Not only do we see Keegan losing his shit a little while trying to find him (Like I'd say Struck Down has some of Keegan's most genuinely aggressive moments, compared to other missions where he's just doing things for the sake of the mission), but we see all of that aggressiveness completely disappear when they finally find him, and it just melts into quiet despair.

"It's bad." Is all he says.

They were too late. And I could only imagine the fucking chill that must've ran through Keegan's blood the second Ajax uses his final breaths to tell them that it was Rorke who did all of this.

Also the fact that Keegan is the one to shout for Ajax when they find him? You'd kind of expect it to be Merrick as the more talkative one. But it's fucking Keegan that yells for him. The guy that doesn't really talk unless he needs to.

And I did already go through Ajax's situation in his bingo but FUCK IT WE'RE SAYING IT AGAIN. Keegan and Merrick finally showing up was probably bittersweet for Ajax. On one hand, he knew he wasn't going to make it. He knew that this was where he'd die, in a darkened room where a kill list of his entire team - found family - taunts him from the far wall. And not only is he unable to tell them, he's actively added to those plans to endanger them because he broke and told Rorke about the safehouse.

But then he hears Keegan. And then Keegan is there, holding him as he chokes on his own fading life. He won't be alone in his final moments, the ones he loves are there with him (well, two of them are at least) but he can't let go peacefully. Not when he knows so much. So he fights against his own dying body to try and warn them. He can't get much out, he resorts to just pointing out the wall. He can't apologise for the danger he's put them in - unbeknownst to them - and he can't apologise to Keegan.

Keegan. Who probably looks anguished. Maybe even scared. And maybe Ajax thinks back to Sand Viper, where he first saw those pained eyes, and it dawns on him that this is it. 22 years of survival and it ends like this.

Are they already together by this point? Is Keegan forced to sit there and watch his love die, all while being told it was his former captain that did it? Forced to watch knowing he wasn't quick enough to save him?

Or had they not even been able to confess yet? Leaving both of them with so many unspoken regrets.

Either way, Ajax doesn't pass with peace of mind. Ajax dies feeling guilty, feeling like a culprit of a crime he'd never even dream of ever comitting. He feels like he's failed them. He feels like he's betrayed them, abandoning them in a mess he helped in making, despite how hard he fought against it.

He probably worries about what's going to happen to Keegan. Because he won't be there to make sure he doesn't spiral over Rorke turning on them. He won't be there to comfort him, just like how Keegan is silently trying to comfort him now.

Keegan's world shatters the moment Ajax takes his final breath. When Merrick checks out the wall with Hesh, Keegan just sits there for a few moments before closing Ajax's eyes. You can just fucking tell from the way he acts for that entire scene how much Ajax meant to him and the Ghosts.

And then he has to carry Ajax's body out of there. At least they actually get to recover his body.

Also for added heartbreak: When Rorke taunts them about Ajax being dead, you can see how Keegan reacts to it.

If you check out this video at 1:15 you can see it fully.

Reminds me of when people tilt their head to try and stop themselves from crying (smth I have done before) but it also could be him resisting the urge to put a bullet through Rorke's skull right then and there. And then he just kinda slips away off-screen.

So. Yeah. This shit is. I love them. I really love them. My heart hurts for them so much.

[sharpnothashtag]

The Good Ship CrushWay, Chapter 58

So I totally didn't mean to post that last chapter the way it was, but everything in it is canon to this story, so it's no big deal. Now, back to the Trek already in progress. Joy is back in their dreamscape, looking down again at their body.

Joy: Joy. All three of the surgeries went well. You have to get up and move. They're still counting on you, Joy. You have to get up. (they bend down and attempt to pick themselves up. They are not successful. They sit down and pull Joy's head into their lap.) I will stay here with you. You are with me.

Daneel rings Joy's doorbell. No response.

Daneel: Joy? It's me, Daneel. I wanted to talk to you about...my friends. (still no response) Computer, override door 5518, Daneel 680Delta Mu Phi. (the door opens. Joy is on the floor, unconscious. They tap their com signal.) Medical emergency! Beam 2 to sick bay. (they are beamed away, and Joy rolls over and looks at Daneel meaningfully before drifting away again.) Bev: Daneel? Joy! What's going on?! Daneel: I found them unconscious in their quarters. I panicked and beamed us both here. Bev: (nodding firmly) Let me see what the computer knows about Kaanor anatomy and physiology. Computer! Program the EMH with all the knowledge we have on the Kaanor. EMH: (appearing) Please state the nature of the medical emergency. Bev: We have an unconscious Kaanor. EMH: Female or male? Bev: Neither. EMH: Start with their heart rate. (EMH presses his hand down on their right hip) Get me something to decrease their pulse. Bev: 2 diphenhydramine. EMH: (hand still on their right hip) Good. (beat) It's leveling out. 20cc s tricordrazine. Bev: Uh, wait. That's enough to kill a large animal. EMH: Kaanor physiology works the reverse of that of a humanoid. This will put them in a deep sleep. (EMH doses Joy.) Bev: Okay, what now? EMH: We have a problem. One of their spirits is dying. Bev: Joy told me that was peaceful. EMH: Normally, yes. If the spirit is in another reality, the spirit returns to the host peacefully. However, to the people in the reality with that spirit, it is very difficult--like the sudden death of a friend. Bev: Wait. Joy, as we know them, is dying? EMH: It's hard to say. I do not know if Joy in this plane of existence is the host or a spirit. Bev: Would the host have pictures of the spirits that had returned? EMH: I'm not sure what you're talking about. Show me.

Bev goes to Joy's quarters and video calls the EMH.

Bev: Do you see them? EMH: Joy told you those were the returned spirits? Bev: Yes. EMH: I don't know what those are, but they aren't the returned spirits. There is no sacremotiona feeding off of them.

Joy is sitting where we left them. There is a storm with heavy wind.

Joy (singing slowly):

Down in the valley, valley so low Hang your head over hear the wind blow Hear the wind blow dear hear the wind blow Hang your head over hear the wind blow.

Roses love sunshine violets love dew Angels in heaven know I love you Know I love you dear know I love you Angels in heaven know I love you.

If you don’t love me love whom you please Throw your arms ’round me give my heart ease Give my heart ease love give my heart ease Throw your arms round me give my heart ease.

Joy sits up in sick bay. Bev runs to their side.

Bev: Joy! What's going on? Joy: Get Daneel and Data. It has to be now. (Bev motions to a nurse, who calls Daneel and Data.) Bev: What has to be now? Joy: Beverly, (pained beat) I am dying. Bev: Tell me your symptoms. There has to be something I can do. Joy: Get Daneel and Data. Then you can help.

After a minute, Daneel and Data run into the room and to Joy's side. Daneel approaches with a duranja, trembling as they light it.

Daneel: Raka-ja ut shala morala... ema bo roo kana... uranak... ralanon Leenik Zidi, Hoannith Zeeda, Nurti Eroso, Ridi Kaikial, Joy... propeh va nara ehsuk shala-kan vunek. Data: (translating) do not let them walk alone... guide them on their journey... protect... the ones named Leenik Zidi, Hoannith Zeeda, Nurti Eroso, Ridi Kaikial, Joy... take them into the gates of heaven. Joy: Come to me, Daneel. Take my hand. (Daneel approaches and takes their hand.)

We are transported to another plane of existence. 14 Joys greet Daneel in unison, bow, and then take them inside a large, holy place. 4 Bajorans appear out of smoke.

Hoannith Zeeda: Daneel. It has been so long, my friend. Daneel: (falling to their knees, sobbing) Zeeda! Zidi! Eroso! Kaikial! Kaikial: We have something to give you, Akares. (Daneel is so overcome that they can't speak. The group of friends come together in a ceremonial dance around Daneel. After a good 90 seconds of this, Daneel's chest begins to glow. Kaikial touches their chest, and the scar appears in the air. Eroso waves his hands, and the scar floats away. The device from Daneel's chest is in the air, and Zidi waves his hands, and it disappears. All four give a loud shout, and Daneel's chest returns to it's normal color.)

Daneel: You mean--the device is gone? Zidi: A gift of thanks to you, our living sibling. Eroso: You protected us. You saved us. Daneel: You still died. Eroso: When you die, you still live on in the impact you made on others. By saving our families, you saved what was left of us. All: We show you our gratitude in collecting your burden. Zeeda: But we leave the mark of the Traveller--a sigil of peace, of deep, cleansing breath. (Kaikial touches the Traveller's mark. It glows a darker orange. Eroso touches it, and it glows a warm red. Zidi touches it, and it glows an inviting yellow. Zeeda touches it, and it seals itself: a deep, worldly green.)

The Joys turn to Daneel, and gesture that it's time to go. Daneel bows deeply before their friends.

Daneel: My captain taught me this phrase, and I leave it with you. Je suis a toi. I am for you. I exist to love Zeeda: and help Zidi: and support Eroso: and cry Kaikial: and laugh with you. Daneel: I exist because you need me.

The Joys take Daneel out of the holy place.

Daneel: What will happen to you? Joy: It is time for me to go. I can only give this gift when I am about to die. Daneel: Will I see you again? Are you the spirit or the host? Joy: One of my spirits will come to you. The host is in a safe place...with their father. Daneel: Peace be with you, Joy, as you continue on your journey. May the end not be far from you.

Daneel comes to, and Joy's body is lifeless, lying on the biobed.

Bev: (in tears) What happened to Joy, Daneel? Daneel: We will see Joy again. Bev: Was this Joy the host? Daneel: The host is safe--with their father. Bev: Their father is dead. Daneel: The host or the spirits? Bev: (eyes widening) I don't know.

[wisemins]

Hiya Miya! How about adoration, be mine, hugs, love letter, smitten and valentine for you and Armin?

Thank you sm for the ask Hedone!! <33 adoration — how would your f/o speak about you to someone else?

Armin always speaks pretty highly about the people he cares about when they're not around, it makes me really flustered honestly! It's a weird sorta niche love language for me, knowing he praises me and my efforts to others. He likes to mention my artwork and writing to others a LOT, according to him, he just wants people to know how creative I am. I appreciate him greatly <3 be mine — how would they react to you flirting with them, do they get flustered? flirt back? Oh boy HERE WE GOOOO, so canonically me and Armin when growing up both had hardcore crushes on each other for many years but never said anything, had no clue, right? But as of a few months ago, I was made aware that I apparently accidentally flirt like, all the time. So, only god knows how much of that went to Armin. When I'm actively trying though? One of three things happens, or maybe all three depending on the day. Either he gets flustered, compliments the flirting attempt, or flirts back (In Armin font this is just complimenting me really hard and trying to get me to laugh/smile, he's really charming 😭😭) hugs — are you and f/o affectionate / open about your relationship in public? A normal amount I'd say! We hold hands, cheek kisses here and there, sometimes I just need a hug no matter where I am so that might happen. We refrain from anything deemed socially/publicly too intense. Plus we'd rather save that for home/in private! love letters — are they good at expressing how they feel? what’s their best way of letting you know they love you? Armin over the years has sort of mastered every love language there is really! He always wants to make sure I know that he loves me. He shows that in a lot of ways, helping me with tasks I can't accomplish, encouraging me when I need it, spending time with me and listening to whatever I have to say. But most importantly, he'll simply just say it, usually in one of his longer Armin-monologues that he gets into when I'm not feeling good about myself and I need to know that he does love me. smitten — was it easy for the people around you and f/o to figure out you liked each other? did they get involved in you getting together at all? Oh, oh boy. So, everyone say thank you to Mikasa because she pulled ALL of the weight here. Eren was beyond clueless for a very long time and felt incredibly stupid when he realized. At some point the entire 104th knew besides us, but even then we still didn't say anything until the retaking of wall Maria, literally took us both nearly dying to get it out 😭 I will say, Jean had a special role in all this. I don't bother explaining this on my list but, in each of my canons if I end up with Armin, Jean is QP, if I end up with Jean, Armin is QP. It's a lovely balance I don't get in other things I ship in because that's how Jean and I's dynamic was before I realized I also loved him romantically! I also sometimes polyship with them both, which is fun! Anyways there's a point in all of this, Jean in my "Armin route" encouraged it the day of confession, if he didn't we probably STILL wouldn't have gone for it. Mikasa fought the battle but Jean won the war, truly. valentine — gush about your valentine! ^^ You got it boss! I love how cozy and comfortable Armin is, not only just to me but in general. I love cuddling with him while he reads, just curling up in his blanket and getting to take a cat nap. I also love it when he talks about work, I just really like hearing his mind work so fast as he's speaking, he's so intelligent and can be so passionate, it's so charming! He's my very amazing, compassionate, accommodating and doting husband that I'd do anything for!

[lovelytayforce]

TFP Airachnid would be cool 2, 3, 8, 12, 28, 37, 50

This is gonna be a long one lads, so buckle up!!

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on Obvious HC: The pain and trauma she inflicts on others is mostly her own lil way of dealing with her own internal bs that not even Rung could untangle. While I don't ship Arcee with her, I do think she does feel a certain kinship as one of the few femmes on the show much less in that small group of surviving bots of their species considering there is also only one of her kind left (based on tfwiki and my limited knowledge) It's kind of how I feel about TFP Megatron and Starscream, in a war that's been so long these "terrible people" are now apart of their lives. This is their normalcy as weird as that may sound. Idk I don't think we as a fandom explore the fact they are a dying species outside of "Let's get em reproducing" What about how their long lives affect their own relationships with their enemies and how they are a key part of their lives and that nagging voice reminding them "This is it." She counts as a modern Predacon; Kre-o is canon guys I said so. 🫵🏽😜 She is super cute, look at her!!!!

3. Obscure headcanon - She's Nocturnal which means I can make all the neet jokes I want with her! - I 200% believe she's the type who's terrible at following directions and follows the mantra "I'll do it when I do!" but will get super passionate about the things she wants to do so yeah not exactly a team player. (Idk why but I associate her with a lot of Anzu cards lol) One of those passions is unfortunately taking people's heads and making Starscream and Megs life hell.

Her form can't adapt to most vehicle modes which is how I just explain whatever the hell happened with her helicopter mode...Idk in a sci fi sense her biology is just so interesting to me. - She loves sweet things. (Am I projecting more of Anzu on her, maybe but who knows maybe she liked taking sweet energon when she turned into a Vampire so watch out sweet lovers~!)

She's 200x worse in the cold than most Cybertronians and is more at risk of going offline than Optimus.

She has 2000% sat on Megatron's throne and stayed there despite him standing right there, you can't tell me otherwise. Her connection with insecticons is mostly superficial; due to their similarities in species and I'd love to speculate she doesn't actually control them, just direct their actions vaguely with signals only their own kind can hear. (I feel like this was explained in the show but I legitimately forgot...so yeah hc...)

She's sillier than others give her credit, but it probably surprises her sometimes too. 8. Unpopular opinion about them Alot of y'all are gonna hate me for this but I think she's just as redeemable as the rest of the cons!!!! Listen she's part of a very small species called Arachnicons and is constantly belittled as a more intelligent Insecticon by other Cybertronians and yes while in TFP she does have the connection to control that sort of hive, I've never seen anyone explore that aspect of the aligned continuity much less her character. That holds a lot of potential for angst and I know we all love evil gals but she can still have more depth to her. Anyways if I ever get around to it. I would be down to write a fic of her being slightly better with some still questionable morals as all cons should have! TLDR; I think she's a more interesting character than people give her credit for and I love her! 12. Crack headcanon Another Kre-O bit that never left my mind; she never admits it but I like to believe she would enjoy and crave (Just a smidge) to be a part of group activities.

She doesn't find Megatron funny at all but listens anyway. (Hey if we can count his love for MLP from Ask Megatron as a fanon HC; I can have this! You CAN'T TAKE THIS FROM ME!) - I never mentioned this on Megatron's post but well here we go. She and Megatron would both have black Holoforms She'd have more frizzy curly hair while Megatron has locs. 😘 28. How they feel about [insert character of your choice from the same fandom] Well, it said character of my choice so I chose; THE WHOLE DECEPTICON MOVEMENT; I like to think she did see it as a place to belong for awhile until it went full-blown military and "follow my exact order" type deal she liked it better when it was chaotic before the Great Exodus and all that jazz. Let's be real, she's not the only con like this even KO is more along the lines of wanting to do as he pleases, so deep down if she hadn't taken Breakdown out. They could have been not friends but understood one another maybe? (Ah that's another crack hc...) 37. What they really think about themselves She sees herself as the ideal hunter, she follows her instincts without a second thought; even if others look down on her, she won't feel ashamed of who she is. If anything she probably views herself as "pure" not in a kind sense but accepting her urges to kill as natural while everyone else wears of mask of civility. 50. A memory they’ve blocked out

Her fight with Soundwave. Not part of the post but I just wanna remind people of the fact she's voiced by two queens; Gina Torres and Ryoka Tuzuki are both MOTHER, they could never make me hate a character you voiced 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

[starfolk7]

For the character ask: Messmer, Ryuzo and Gabriel :)

YOU DKHSFDS oh lord HERE WE GO

Messmer:

How I feel about this character

BITING HIM (affectionate). For real, I'm going insane over Messmer and his backstory, my little gremlin brain is already cooking up fic for him and it's A Problem. He absolutely Did Commit War Crimes but also mmMMMMMMMMM

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I love doing OC ships, so I love seeing Messmer shipped with people's OCs!! I've seen some lovely art and fic snippets in this vein and it's giving me so much life. I have something going with him and my OC Anya, but it needs a little more time to marinate before I start writing it (read: I have to finish the DLC first I have so much to explore pls help sdfhdf)

My non-romantic OTP for this character

I suppose him and Commander Gaius! I mean, they were friends in canon, anyway, so it's not exactly much of a stretch skdfdhds

My unpopular opinion about this character

Not sure if this is unpopular or not, but here we go: Messmer has pathetic tendencies for sure (helloooo mommy issues lmao), but like hell is he going to show them in front of most people or in any situation where he needs to exude authority. Not exactly a good look when you're reigning over the Land of Shadow and have troops to command. I think some people forget that he can roast a bitch alive if he wants to. That said, I'm all for him letting his walls down around someone he trusts, especially an S/O <3

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

That we could marry him instead of fighting!! Please!! Or at the very least recruit him to help us out, I'm dying over here!

Ryuzo:

How I feel about this character

It's been a while, but every time I hear about him I'm still nibbling on him in the most affectionate way!! What a disaster of a man, I fucking love him <3

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Once again in my canon x OC corner playing in my sandbox lmao. I haven't written anything for him and my girl Aiko in a hot minute, maybe I should change that <w< Altho honestly, any ship with him is bound to be interesting and have depth, so I'll read pretty much any ship with him!

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Ryuzo and Jin! They can be either platonic or romantic in my head, sometimes a secret third thing. Really they're very versatile lol.

My unpopular opinion about this character

He should have been allowed to live and wrestle with his guilt more. That's my personal opinion on the matter, though I'm not sure if it's unpopular!

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

That he got to LIVE. Let him get drunk on some sake and mope about his decisions before he has to get his shit together and man up about his mistakes. We love to see a sopping wet mess of a man go through the wringer!!

Gabriel:

How I feel about this character

*rattles him* This is where all of my Catholic guilt is stored I am SO unwell about this wreck of an archangel I LOVE HIM sdfsdskh

All the people I ship romantically with this character

*holds up my Canon x OC sign* I know it's not like. A super popular way to ship him, but I think it's really cool that me and a handful of other people are exploring this kind of ship with our own OCs! I'm throwing an atheist cyborg at him on my end (fucking love Charlotte lol), so honestly there's a lot explore here and I'm glad I'm not the only one that's doing it! X3

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Okay here me out. Gabriel and V2, if they ever got to meet. They both hate V1. It makes sense in my brain sdfkdsh

My unpopular opinion about this character

He's not a total pathetic mess! War criminal? Yes. Conflicted about his place in the universe, especially after having his ass handed to him by a machine multiple times? Of course. Going through the most horrible and existential point of his existence? You bet. But totally pathetic and useless? I think the fuck not. There's a reason Gabriel went undefeated for so damn long, and he didn't get to that point by being completely useless. It involved dedication and control. I love the memes about him, don't get me wrong, but some out there get the memes twisted up with his true personality.

Also, personally I don't think he would ever have a thing with V1 unless it was grossly one-sided and probably toxic. I know that's not popular but this is my personal opinion and people are 100 percent free to ship what they want. The GabV1el shippers are living their best lives and I'm happy for them! Just not my cup of tea, is all, though I do enjoy the memes about it.

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

The story isn't finished yet, so it's kind of hard to say! I'm more for sitting back and waiting to see how it ends, then I can sit here with wish fulfillment. Either way, I'm both excited and terrified to see how Gabriel ends up in canon. It's gonna be a wild ride and I do not have enough seat belts. I'm probably gonna cry over it, too sdfsdfd

[turnipotentiary]

don't know if i feel like laughing or crying at the fact that a Lot of gay star trek pairings are canon and would be acknowledged as canon if not for heteronormativity. like vulcans kiss with their hands right this is a well known fact spock lets kirk kiss him i mean. vulcans are generally not all that tactile because they're touch telepaths but he lets kirk grab him clap him on the shoulder hug him every time.

why is q so obsessed with picard? why is q always saying mon capitaine, my captain, mine, would you like to play a game? leaning forward real close to him and whispering, risking the entire ship just to hear picard say i need you, q, i need you because he loves him and he has a convoluted way of showing it but he loves him. "she's found a vulnerability in you… a vulnerability I've been looking for years. If I had known sooner, I would have appeared as a female." a vulnerability i've been looking for for years. how would their relationship be viewed if one of them were female? how would all of this be received, how would audiences react if one of them were female and the producers consistently denied their relationship had any sort of romantic sides?

garak, a cardassian, is used to argument signaling romantic interest. he picks fights with julian, baits him into snapping back, meets up with him once a week just to argue. it's a date you guys. an argument could be made that julian doesn't know but garashir, at least one-sidedly, is canon. it's CANON y'all i feel like screaming sometimes because it's like am i missing something?? is there something that would make this straight? kirk is t'hy'la. kirk is, to spock, literally a new word they made up to mean some sort of brother/friend/lover/soulmate mix. it's ambiguous and it can be romantic and add that with the fact that what they have fits the definition of love given in Metamorphosis and their CANON kisses and the many parallels their stories have to traditionally romantic stories especially in the movies and even in-universe with kirk's female love interests and "you? [you belong] at his side, as if you've always been there and always will" and what do you get? canon k/s. you get garak opening up to bashir and andy robinson having explicitly said he played garak as VERY interested in bashir, at least in his first ep, and their own parallels to romantic tropes and the trust bashir puts in him and "i forgive you, for whatever it is you've done" and "stop staring at her!" "she's the only cardassian woman on the station she's bound to attract some attention" "not yours!" and bashir going to cardassia to save him and the dominion knowing that garak dying could break julian and q and picard lying in bed together shirtless asking do you regret anything? and where do we go from here? i have a lot of thoughts about this. the logical next step for julian bashir and elim garak is to give them a relationship after the events of The Wire, when garak breaks apart because living on this station is torture for me, doctor and i have nothing to look forward to but having lunch with you and i can't believe i enjoyed it and every time i think i'm going to wrap this up the post gets longer. the list gets longer, and longer, and longer and the show has ended! these are from years ago, decades ago, and yet the list just keeps getting longer. . . this isn't some delusion of mine if it is please tell me. if there's some way this can be read as utterly platonic, if there's something i'm completely misinterpreting feel free to let me know because i'm kind of going crazy here these are canon! literally they kiss, they flirt, they act like romance protagonists and for what. if one of them was female then what? how would things have been different simply because the relationship is suddenly heterosexual? take a moment to imagine a moment. one from the things I've mentioned above, maybe, or perhaps you have your own moments you find subtextually romantic. now switch out one of the characters' gender so that it's now a man and a woman. now what do you see? what becomes clearer even though nothing has changed except that it's no longer gay? why is holding hands swoon-worthy with an m/f relationship and just guys being dudes in an m/m? why is it different when it's not straight?

[marina-roslinka]

I think it can’t be denied that Jayce and Viktor love each other in Arcane, but I don’t think it’s going to be canonically romantic. Jayce is always reaching out and trying to support Viktor and he calls him his brother. The really only person who Viktor cares how they view him is Jayce, I don’t think he much cares about whether or not people see past him being a Zaunite as long as Jayce cares about him. It’s okay to be upset it’s not going to be canon but I am annoyed that people are acting like this is a lesser option some how. That’s why we have fanfic anyway.

Yeah, I also think they're not going to be canonically romantic since "He's like a brother to me" is hard evidence of that. Unless by seeing the popularity of the ship they'll choose the "I was confused by what I was feeling for him" route but I hardly doubt it.

Regardless of Viktor. Now that I think about it, we don't see much of his side of the feelings. Not in the sense of "Oh, he definitely has romantic feelings for Jayce"... but Viktor's feelings toward Jayce overall.

(Understandably why - the lad is dying.)

The portrayal of platonic love is just as important as romantic love but let's be honest, most of the time this discussion brings up predominantly about people of the same gender. Especially mlm.

"Why can't they be just friends?" "Men can't be close without being seen as gay"

Jeez, where did I hear that one before?

And if someone reading this thinks "yeah, why indeed" I'll tell you.

Because we've seen the portrayal of close strong platonic male friendship in media thousands of times! Unlike romantic. Of course, people want to see more lgbtq+ representation.

Fanfic writers are a gift from gods but fanfics don't hold the same impact in media, unfortunately.

[ernest-shackleton]

On Healing Festering Wounds

Post Canon one-shot where they run into each other bc of course they do.

1.2k words

Read on AO3

---

Ed’s beard is growing and he is dying it. Izzy tells him it looks good but Ed doesn’t love it. He continues to do it anyway - his face feels weird without the beard, and not dying his beard... just wouldn’t feel right. For unspecified reasons. Whatever.

And as surely as Ed’s beard grows, so does the ache inside his chest. It started as a sharp pain when Stede left, like a stab wound that was reopened every time he thought about the man, but now, a month later, it feels infected, like it's festering and feverish and killing Ed slowly from the inside. All he can do to lessen the pain is drink. The alcohol washes away the melancholy and brings out the rage. His anger is justified, for fuck's sake! Ed doesn't understand why it's not there when he's sober.

They plunder a ship. It goes alright. Ed orders the ship to make a stop at the Republic of Pirates. A bad idea - he knows that, but they need to sell their loot, and anyway, Ed doesn't need to justify his decisions - he's the captain.

His legs feel unsteady when he steps on shore. His legs feel unsteady a lot these days. There’s an ache that he drowns in alcohol and the alcohol in turn makes his legs lighter. A small mercy, but disconcerting when he has to adapt to solid land. He does alright, he thinks.

He avoids stumbling drunkards and mysteriously no one bothers him. Maybe it’s the makeup - if so, it is doing its job, because the last thing Ed wants is to talk.

There’s a secret beach that Ed has told Stede about. Now he wishes he hadn’t, because even at this safe place, he isn’t safe from Stede. He goes there nonetheless.

Strips off his clothes and takes a dip in the sea.

His mind is fuzzy and numb - Ed didn’t bring a drink, but his habits are such that his inebriation never really lets up anymore.

Pants back on, Boots back on. Hair drying in the sun, the rays warm on his chest. He thinks about Stede (when doesn’t he?) and hears his voice.

“Ed?”

Ed brings the heels of his hands to his temples, tries to rub away whatever insanity gripped a hold of him.

“Ed?”

It doesn’t work. The voice is more insistent now. And then there are footsteps behind him and Ed is lunging for his knife but he misses by an inch, warm sand running through his fingers as he looks up.

“Hi,” Stede says, and Ed’s resolve lasts all of two seconds before he feels tears shoot into his eyes.

“You left,” he says inelegantly. His voice is hoarse; he’s been shouting and drinking and crying for a month. “You left me.”

Stede looks good. Of course Stede looks good. Stede always looks good. Ed thought he looked good when he first met him - stabbed and hanged; more dead than alive. And now, Stede is definitely alive and Ed wants to stab him to change that.

But then, Stede’s smile vanishes and his eyes meet Ed’s and Blackbeard - the resurrected puppet he has embodied these past weeks - shrinks back into his grave. “I am truly sorry, Edward.”

Stede is on his knees next to Ed within a second, his hands are fidgeting, carefully not touching Ed, even though that’s what he needs. Doesn’t Stede know?

Ed lunges forward then, unthinking, acting on his first impulse, throwing his arms around Stede’s shoulders, burying his face against the base of his neck and starts sobbing. Stede’s arms wrap around him, his hands settle on his back, but otherwise he doesn’t move.

“I’m sorry,” he says again, and Ed pulls back to look at him because it sounds like he is crying as well. “I couldn’t. I don’t know...” Stede’s words drift off and the festering ache in Ed’s chest reaches out its rotten tendrils, gripping his bruised and battered heart in a painful clutch. That’s when the thoughts start - never a good sign.

Is this Stede’s way of saying good-bye? After he already abandoned Ed? One last twist of the dagger, or even an attempt at cleaning the festering wound?

Ed’s head is buzzing with questions, as he clings on to Stede like a lone rock at sea. He tries to speak but not a sound leaves his lips. He doesn’t know how he can ask a question whose answer will destroy him. He knows that if he hears Stede say the words, he might never get up from this beach again. His legs will stop working, harmed by grief more than all the alcohol in the world ever could.

“No,” he grits out between clenched teeth. Before he will let Stede do this to him, he would rather hack off his legs himself. Stede has no right... no right -

There are tears on Stede’s cheeks and his brows are knit tight in a worried frown. But his eyes shine out at Ed and the festering thing inside Ed rears its ugly head against the light.

"No?” Stede repeats softly, one of his hands settles on Ed’s shoulder, the other wanders down his back, coming to a rest on Ed’s hip.

This makes the panicked buzzing in his head stop. This was not how breakups were supposed to go. Stede wasn’t supposed to come back at all.

“Why are you here?” he finally asks.

Stede’s confusion etches deep lines into his forehead. It would be endearing if it wasn’t infuriating. Like so often in the last month, Ed’s sorrow and pain morph into anger.

“Have you come here just to make a point? To make sure I’m suffering? What is it you want now?”

As soon as the words register with Stede, he pulls back, scrambles away from Ed. He is sitting on the sunny beach and if the situation was any different, Ed would soak up this moment and treasure it because Stede belongs on beaches, with a drink in his hand preferably, and a wide-brimmed hat on his head. But the thought hurts, because the reality is drastically different. This Stede, the real Stede is only here to bring Ed pain.

“I love you,” says Stede and Ed huffs out a sob, or a laugh, he’s not quite sure.

“Yeah right,” is all Ed manages.

“I came to stay. I never meant to leave, I just... something happened. Got under my skin. I’m sorry I left.”

He keeps saying he’s sorry. Ed is starting to believe it, despite himself, because Stede doesn’t lie about things like this. Stede is good.

Too good for him.

Why is he back?

Stede’s fingers knock against the back of Ed’s hand. He involuntarily jerks away.

“Can I stay?” Stede asks, his voice small and his words sincere.

Ed slumps in on himself. He knows he can’t deny Stede anything. The ache inside him is treacherously calm. Ed nods.

When Stede’s fingers find Ed’s again, minutes later, a tear escapes his eyes and he lets it roll down his cheek. He rests his head against Stede’s shoulder and feels a kiss pressed to the crown of his head.

The ache inside him is being suffocated now, the wound is burned out. Now, it can start to heal.

[matan4il]

I have gone back and fourth at boring you guys with this but its bugging me. Let me preface I am a straight women married to a man, guilty pleasures are romance novels, Hallmark movies and pumpkin spice. Basically I am as basic as it comes lol. But I'm throwing that out there for my point. I was deeply unsatisfied with 5A, alot was wrong with it, mostly everyone hitting each other and threatening violence. However Buddie was low on the list for me and here is my headro take.

Eddie is easy the man is clearly repressed. I was disappointed when Anna appeared because it was like great they crafted the perfect women for Eddie there goes my ship. FACTS, she obviously pretty (mentioned many times), she's Latina, (Eddies culture and religion is always referenced and a bedrock for him), she's a teacher, gentle and soft. Yet boom after dating at least a year he's like see ya. The idea of this women literally makes him panic.

Buck, his common theme is someone just picks him and he doesn't get left behind. Taylor cleared all the Abby and Allie hurdles. He has someone now. Even back during the lawsuit Hen pointed out who does he have outside of here. Well he has Taylor now, so in a typical M/W storyline problem solved. He can be bummed about Eddie quiting but it wouldn't be this big conflict. You can even compare it to the fact Hen is coping fine without Chim and Chim knows Hen will be leaving for med school soon.

Also that ILY scene was not ispiring. She was so joyful saying it and he was resigned. It almost reminded me that Abby was to Buck, as Eddie was to Anna has come full circle to Bucky is to Taylor. I feel like the talk he with Eddie will come back when Eddie lecfures him.

I would have loved to go into hiatus with them canon just cause I have waited forever but I would honestly be shocked if it's not canon by the end of 5B because none of this story telling is typical straight romance writing at all.

Hi Nonnie! Sending your thoughts in is never boring! :D

I kind of LOVE that Ana was on paper the perfect woman for Eddie. Real TV characters are never perfect, they're always flawed in some way, so when we get a "perfect" Love Interest, it's usually to make a point, it's to allow a protagonist to go, "that person seemed perfect, and yet I choose YOU. Love isn't a grocery list of the 'right' traits, and I choose you over anyone else, even over the 'perfect' person, because I love you." Just imagine when Eddie gets to realize that in regards to Buck! Or what that would mean to Buck, who's never felt like he's chosen or wanted... I AM DYING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.

And yes, Taylor has stuck around and gotten further than either Abby or Ali, but she's clearly still not 'it' for Buck, just the way that ILY exchange went shows that.

IDK what we will get in season 5b, I'm hoping for good things because everything seems to align in that direction, but I have to admit, I'm not convinced we have been waiting forever for Buddie. Eddie only joined the show in s2, and we're only half way through s5. I was just reminded of a ship I loved from the start, that finally got together this year after I waited for them to for 8 (!) seasons, I went through one of them not just dating, but marrying and having a kid with another person, and all of this only for my ship to finally get together and then be killed off in the very same season (yes, it's that kind of show where almost everyone gets killed sooner or later). I am not joking when I say that the Buddie wait game is nothing in comparison with some of my battle scars... *does the 911 scar comparing scene, just with ships* My point is, endgame couples can and do take their time, even if Buddie doesn't go canon in s5, it doesn't mean they won't at some point. And because 911 is a far more kind-hearted show than the average, I have faith!

I hope that's a comforting thing to hear and thank you for the ask, I hope my reply helped! xoxox

To anyone else who sent me an ask, I am going through all of them, thank you so much for your patience! If you wanna check whether I've replied to yours yet, you can have a look at my ask tag. xoxox