#tbh this sounds like the premise for a friends with benefits fic

[mc-i-r]

Thanks for the tag!! Okay let's see,,

Age gap: nope! Don't like age gaps, they make me feel weird

Codependency: +9 THIS IS MY SHIT!! I love this trope but very few write it correctly/accurately (that is, not taking it too far and/or making the characters able to have lives outside one another while still relying on the other person)

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: +6 only good if it's written correctly!! Kinda goes hand in hand with codependency with me but for fics centered around this, yeah I'm just "eh" with em

Opposites: +3 good trope, just not my cup of tea. I think characters are more than the one-sided versions this trope mostly consists of so I just don't enjoy these as much as others

Enemies to lovers, enemies with benefits: +10 absolutely my favorite. I am In Love. I will give you a kiss on the forehead if you write witty banter between characters even after they're in love. Because I want to. And because I can.

Friends with benefits: +8 okay this one's gotta have feelings involved or else I won't read it. Like if they don't fall in love, it's no dice for me. Sorry.

Sex to feelings: 0 maybe?? I honestly can't remember a fic I've read with this trope but who knows, maybe I'll like it

Fake dating/relationship: +6 I'll read it if the premise sounds interesting but I find them cliche for the most part. Just really formulaic to me

Friends to lovers: +10 THIS IS ALSO MY SHIT!! God, give me characters with a positive, established relationship that leads to more and I'll fall in love with you. Seriously. The connection? The love? The feeling??? Oh my god????

Found family: +7 I like it as a side trope bc it adds world building and outside relationships but I probably won't read something based solely around it

Hurt/comfort: +10 this is an immediate read for me!! If there's hurt AND comfort? You bet your ass I'm reading it right the fuck now. If you can give me intense angst that will leave my chest hurting and tears pricking my eyes while promising me a happy ending where the characters work out their differences and issues then I will love you for all eternity

Love triangle: 0 again, this is one of those situations where I don't really know if I've read a fic like this, but I think I'd find it annoying tbh

Poly, open relationships: +5 I'm open to reading these fics but I don't actively seek these out most of the time (also depends on the fandom)

Mistaken/hidden identity: +4 usually depends on the "why". Superhero/villain fics are a good read, not something I'd go searching for tho. Same applies to Rockstar!character fics

Monsterfucking: +10 ....do I even have to say anything?? Okay apparently I do- this is a good trope if, and it's a big IF, it is done correctly and to the likes of the fandom. What I mean by that is if a character is commonly turned into a monster/turned into a monster within the universe, the universal understanding of those creatures must be used. That means no adding weird shit!! If the monster doesn't have it, don't add it!! Keep them the way the fandom wants them and everyone will be relatively happy!

Pregnancy: -10 okay I get why some people like this, don't hate on me, but I just... don't. It's more to do with personal issues than the trope itself but yeah, just don't like it

Second chance: +5 only if it's done right!! Idk if you know what I mean but if you do know what I mean then you get it. If the first chance was ended by something super bad that I, myself, wouldn't forgive someone for? Then it's a no for me dog. But! If it's something reasonable/understandable/misunderstanding then yeah, I'll read it

Slowburn: +10 ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY!! Will immediately read anything with this tag, I don't care (that's obv not true). Give me a 100k+ slowburn fic any day and I will marry you

Soulmates: nope! Okay don't come at me for this but I just don't like it when characters' fate is predetermined like this. I want the "will they/won't they" of relationships without the "well the universe says they will so they will". The only exception I'll EVER make is if the characters aren't actually soulmates (they don't have one, they died, etc) and find solace in one another

Tags (but no pressure!!): @tea-beloved @marvelingjules @stardust-walker @beenherewaytoolong

Trope rating game

tagged by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation (my wife must be trying to kinkshame me or something that's okay I'm into it)

rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic? -10 -> very dissuaded  0 - don’t care either way  +10 -> very enticed  nope -> if it’s a hard no and you’d never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you’d insta click out of the fic if it wasn’t tagged.  Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it’s conditional.

Age gap: +3

It definitely isn't a make or break for me, but sometimes when I'm on the cusp of not clicking something and I see it, especially with certain authors, the temptation is too good to ignore.

Codependency: +5

It's about the toxic love for me. They just NEED each other SO MUCH.

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: + 7

There are the occasional times when the obsessive/possession is too much, but it is RARE at this point. The more "you're mine, I'm yours" there is the better to meeeee.

Opposites (grumpy/sunshine etc): +4

I like it as a background feature most of the time (said as if my most popular written work didn't start as grumpy/sunshine based).

Enemies to lovers, Enemies with benefits: +10

I kiss every author who writes it on the MOUTH.

Friends with benefits: +5

I love it when it ends in requited feelings, but I have read it where it turns ugly and stays ugly and I do not ever wanna read that! Please! I'm a big baby.

Sex to feelings: +6

See above pretty much. But also in cases where they were just a hookup and then just fall in love quickly? That's my kryptonite.

Fake dating/relationship: +4

I am alllll for fake dating/relationships, but it absolutely has to lead to the real deal. I can't be edged like that for it to just end. I especially love when it's slow burn for this, so if the slow burn tag isn't there, I may not click it.

Friends to lovers: +2

Something is broken in my brain that this doesn't get me hooked the way any other blank to lovers does.

Found Family: +8

I don't click on stuff BECAUSE of it alone, but it definitely does help with fics I'm on the fence about.

Hurt/Comfort: +10

Yes. I want them to hurt and then be so so comforted. Every time. All the time.

Love Triangle: -8

In any ship, I absolutely hate it. Just be brave and make them polyam instead.

Poly, open relationships: 0

I personally love Steddissy as far as polyam goes, but open relationships are super difficult for me to read. I know that works for a lot of people, but if it's a tag, I'm probably not reading that fic.

Mistaken/hidden identity: 0

For one shots, sure. Anything chaptered, I think it gets into unbelievable territory without very specific other tags with it and I have never seen one that hits the spot.

Monsterfucking: +10

Yeah well. No words necessary.

Pregnancy: 0

I'm never reading a story BECAUSE of the pregnancy tag, but it fits in some cases (the good omegaverse shit if ya know what I mean). I lived it, hated it, don't wanna read too much about it.

Second Chance: +3

I don't know that I have ever read a Steddie second chance fic, but I don't know if this particular trope would make me dive in.

Slowburn: +10

I loooooove a good slow burn. I will read just about anything if it's got a slow burn tag.

Soulmates: +7

Steddie is really the first ship where I was like all in for this trope, so if it's got this tag, I am so so in.

No pressure tags: @wormdebut @wynnyfryd @messessentialist @steves-strapcollection @starryeyedjanai @thefreakandthehair @scarcrossdlvrs @patchworkgargoyle @vecnuthy @corrodedbisexual @stobinesque @legitcookie @matchingbatbites @judasofsuburbia @sidekick-hero @spooky-stevie @inairbinad @simplebtromance @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog

[moonprincess92]

Congrats on the follower count! How about rebelcaptain + one is on a blind date that's not going well and the other is the waiter. Bonus points if Jyn is the waitress!

Ok so I have to apologise profusely anon, because Iattempted to write this prompt in like 3 different ways and absolutely none ofit worked. I TRIED I REALLY DID AND IM SO SORRY, but since it wasn’t working I wrote you something else instead and it’s literally completely different but I hope you’ll still like it anyway. x

Please enjoy this ‘you accidentally sent me a booty text butI’m considering saying yes anyway’ au 

His phone buzzed just as he was stumbling in through his frontdoor with his arms full of groceries. Refusing to make the trip up the stairstwice, he was laden down with probably more than he should have carried at once andcursed when he started losing grip on his jacket under his armpit. Kicking thedoor shut behind him, he couldn’t check the message until he had dumped all thebags onto his kitchen counter in relief. The little messenger icon was afamiliar face so he tapped it absently as he started unpacking a bag –

– and promptly choked.

Usually if Jyn messaged him this late at night, it was because shehad found yet another thing to criticise from his latest essay. She apparentlydid all her best reading after 10pm because god forbid he ever get grilled at adecent hour, but he liked their conversations all the same. Used to theirchatting being based about their classes or occasionally straying into memesand their favourite tv shows, he was now quite literally rendered speechless atthe photo he had apparently just been sent. 

Though her face wasn’t visible he had nodoubt it was Jyn just from the sheer muscle definition that he could sure ashell see because the only times he’d ever seen her this de-clothed before was whenthey’d occasionally hit up the gym together. She was almost naked in the mirror selfie she’d sent, her arms toned, her abs rock hard… fuck. It sent everything south and he didn’t know what the hell sound just came out of his mouth, but it miiiiight’ve been a whimper. The bra she wore in the selfie waswhite and lacy and the accompanying caption read:

this bra was too nice to not share

He… well, quite honestly, he stared for so long he thought hemight just be having a brain aneurysm. She had to be joking, right? Sure, this wasnothing like Jyn’s sense of humour, but it literally HAD to be a joke becauseit didn’t make sense if it wasn’t. The message felt like she had sent it (thesevere lack of punctuation kind of gave her away) but it was so far out of leftfield that he was almost certain it hadn’t been meant for him. No, some otherlucky bastard out there was supposed to be on the receiving end of thismessage, because he and Jyn weren’t like that, and who cared if maybe he kindof wanted to be likethat, because they weren’t and they couldn’t –

Zmmm.

Another message popped up. This time, it appeared that Jyn waskeyboard bashing.

Akjdskjdfjfdjdf FUCK Im so sorrycassian shit pls ignore this PLS

It didn’t help calm his racing heart at all.

He knew he had frozen foods slowly defrosting away in his grocerybags still, but they seemed like a minor detail in comparison to the battlewracking his mind. Quite honestly… he’d been on the verge of throwing allcaution to the wind and playing along. Maybe sending something a littlesuggestive back. It wasn’t an outright booty text, but it definitely wasn’tinnocent either and perhaps it was the way to start, a way to just flirt alittle, what could go wrong… but then he got that answer and he pressed hisforehead to his kitchen counter with a frustrated sigh. 

On the days he wasn’tkidding himself, he knew that he was an absolute fucking goner for Jyn Erso.She was prickly and defensive and didn’t let any minor grammatical error pasther, but once she got used to you she was hilarious to be around and her smileliterally made his heart stop these days. Sometimes, on the nights they wouldstudy together late at the library, she would linger as he packed his booksaway and he got the feeling that hopefully, MAYBE, she was a goner too.

But then she said things like that and he would squash it alldown.

Another message. He lifted his head gingerly to read it.

God cassian SAY SOMETHING DAMN IT I need to know that I haven’tjust ruined our entire friendship lmao

He stared at her words, grappling hard until eventually, hefigured fuck it.

Friendship’s overrated. I was going to say it definitely looked nice.

He hit send before he could lose his nerve and wondered if it wasa little overdramatic to turn his entire phone off for good measure. He heldhimself back from adding on ‘just kidding’ and instead, forced himself to startputting away his groceries.

Another buzz made him drop the bag of frozen vegetables.

well, good. I wouldnt wanna waste a good selfie.

Cassian bit his tongue and typed back.

Honestly selfie game is 10/10. How’d you even get that angle?

I might’ve stood on somethin to make me tall enough. also might’venearly killed myself in the process 

Ah the price we pay for a good selfie…

Gotta get these boobs lookin good somehow

They’ve been doing just fine before now, tbh 

Fuck. That might’ve been a bit much. He grimaced, distractinghimself with his shopping for the next thirty seconds and initially ignoringthe subsequent message that eventually buzzed through. Finally, though, sheer nerves took over and he pulled up the conversation once again.

Cassian Andor, are you flirting with me?

You sent me a pic of your boobs, Jyn. He felt the need to stress this point. This was on her, shestarted this! 

Touché. So wanna come over, then?

BOOM. He was dead! His head had exploded and he was definitely,100% very, very deceased. 

Do you……mean that in the way I think you mean that?

HEY. I worked hard at that selfie. If I have to go through thehumiliation of accidentally sending it to my study partner, then the least theuniverse could do is also throw some sex in there for meBut um… hey if u want to say no, its chill. Idc its totallyfine no hard feelings

Cassian thought about it for about ten seconds. Then –

I can be there in ten

It was just as he was rushing to throw whatever the hell was leftin his grocery bags into the fridge – honestly, he literally didn’t give a shithow it was organised at this point – when he got another photo. He rubbed hiseyes, groaning a little at the image of Jyn’s body, slightly zoomed out now. Her entire torso and upper legs could be seen and that was how he figured out that her underwear matched thebra.

Hurry up, mate she added. 

If you stop sending me shit like THAT I might Jesus lord

[10thingsihateaboutyourfic]

Sterek Fic Recs

The Accidental Hale Brood by Julibean19 [Sterek, M, 42k] Kidfic, adoption, fake/pretend relationship, fluff, cuteness, police officers

Author’s summary: Stiles and Derek have been BCPD partners for years when they are assigned Halloween duty and run into a couple of kids from the orphanage. One fake marriage and two real adoptions later, they somehow become a family.

This is lovely. Fake relationship is one of my favorite tropes, and I love kidfic with well written, realistic kids. This is long enough to be satisfying too, with lots of characterisation and context. A good read.

Lunches, Knitting and Definitely Not Dating by Noxlunate [Sterek, T, 10k] Mpreg, aboverse, past Stiles/OMC, acquaintances to lovers, deputy Derek

Author’s summary: Just a weird mpreg fic with Derek and Stiles totally kinda dating without realizing it, and Stiles figuring out this whole having a baby thing.

It’s not weird, the author’s being way too harsh on themself. I love a good mpreg fic. There’s not enough mpreg in my opinion. I could read mpreg fic all day every day and still want more. So I enjoyed this very much. It’s got great characterisation, especially for Stiles being terribly practical about it from the moment he finds out he’s pregnant, and yet oblivious about how he and Derek find each other without quite realising. Cute.

When You’re Gone by illusemywords [Sterek, T, 27k] Mystery, unreliable narrator, illness, memory loss due to trauma, angst, character death (the Hale fire)

Author’s summary: Stiles Stilinski suffers memory loss and terrible headaches after an accident he had the summer he was fifteen. He doesn't remember what happened that summer or why the Hales left town, and no one seems to want to talk about it. Now he's just turned seventeen and he decides that if he ever wants to know what happened to him that summer he'll have to figure it out himself. Eventually, memories start coming back to him, and he starts piecing them together.

I love fic that’s a bit different, and this is definitely different. It’s got a very unusual narrative structure, but it’s perfect for the fic, which has a creepy, unsettled vibe, due to the nature of the story its telling. It’s angsty and sad and beautiful. I really liked it.

Scowls and Sarcasm by dr_girlfriend [Sterek, T, 26k] Pride and Prejudice Au

Author’s summary: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single alpha in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a mate.

This is a Pride and Prejudice AU. A good one. I don’t know what more information you could possibly need. It veers off radically towards the end for the sake of drama, which I’m not completely convinced was necessary if I’m being brutally honest, because P&P is epic and perfect just as it is, but Peter Hale as Lady Catherine De Bourgh honestly makes up for anything. Heh.

Married at First Glance by Wonderwolf [Sterek, E, 63k] Reality TV AU, fake/pretend relationship, one-sided Paige/Derek

Author’s summary: Married at First Glance gives its participants seven weeks. Seven weeks, starting when they meet and marry their “perfect match”, to decide if they want to stay married or divorce. For Stiles and Derek though, the challenge lies within trying to pretend that they don’t absolutely hate each other’s guts. When you’re married to a werewolf who dislikes humans, however, this can get a little tricky. But the sweet, sweet cash reward at the end will be worth it. Right?

I’ve never watched these reality shows, they’re not my thing tbh, but they’re undeniably and awesome premise for a fic, and this one really does the concept justice by putting meat on the bones and taking enough time over it to make it feel like a proper story, not just a precursor to Sterek getting together. I followed this as a WIP and read each part as soon as it came in because I was enjoying it so much. Good stuff.

Written Can’t Be Denied by lookslikenico and winglesswarrior [Sterek, T, 55k] Actor Stiles, Photographer Derek, soulmates au, soulmarks, single parent derek

Author’s summary: The story goes that, the first time you meet your ‘soulmate’, the universe will give you a sign in what should be the most obvious way - somewhere in your immediate vicinity the word ‘soulmate’ will appear. ...  A fact that causes havoc the day that up and coming actor, Stiles Stilinski holds up a bottle emblazoned with the word 'soulmate' in the middle of a press conference where Derek Hale is working as a photographer, in the middle of the worst day of his life.

The trend for soulmate/soulmark AUs has cooled off a bit recently, I think, which is fine. It’s just the natural rhythm of fandom, tropes come and go. There have been some really intriguing explorations of the concept, and some that have just used the concept to tell beautiful stories, and this fic falls into the second of those categories. It’s depthful and interesting and well characterised and I was rooting so hard for those crazy kids.

Seat Belts & Gravity by calrissian18 [Sterek, E, 22k] Friends with benefits, mostly canon compliant

Author’s summary: People leave in Beacon Hills, give up on the town, the people, on life itself. And he and Derek are still here, six years later, still able to drink a beer and share space. It’s kind of remarkable in a really understated way.

I love the way this author writes. I love their style, and I love their characterisation. They have an absolute gift for writing Stiles especially in this quirky way that feels more canon than canon, like it’s what Stiles should be if the show wasn’t so hampered and trapped by stupid bullshit like being written by a bunch of apes at typewriters under instructions from network executives who think viewers just want more love triangles. To be honest, if I were you I’d just run straight to AO3 and read everything this author’s ever written, and then find their Tumblr and read the stuff there too. You will not regret it.

Whatever Our Souls Are Made Of by Lissadiane [Sterek, T-ish, 15k] Character death (not Sterek), coffee shop au / college au, ghosts, ghost animals

Author’s summary:  In which Stiles Stilinski sees the ghosts of animals with unfinished business, and Derek Hale is unaware that his dearly departed sister left a few things unfinished.

Fair warning, this made me cry. When I read the summary, I went “phhh that sounds dumb”, but it’s actually beautiful. Just go and read it. But have a box of tissues handy.

The White Hart of Winter by DarkAthena [Sterek, E, 65k] Historic AU, aboverse, mpreg, evil Kate Argent, period typical violence, pre-verbal / animalistic Derek

Author’s summary: Sent to marry the Hale Beast Stiles finds himself alone in a castle left to ruin and watched over by Kate Argent, who he thinks is sleeping with his new husband and seems determined to destroy him.

Oh lord. Where to start. Look, this is not the best written fic in the world, not least (I think) because the author wrote it during NaNoWriMo, so it’s perhaps not been beta read or edited as well as it could’ve been. But it had me absolutely gripped from start to finish. I loved the storyline (it’s historical abo mpreg, I was in heaven), and the historical stuff, you can really tell the author knows what they’re talking about. It’s dark and bloody at times, but Stiles is pretty awesome throughout and Derek as “the Beast” is explained and developed very well. If, like me, you love a bit of abo mpreg and historical high drama, and you can overlook a few typos, this is fantastic stuff.

I’ve Been Everywhere With You by Leslie_Knope [Sterek, E, 61k] College Au, escaping from Beacon Hills, everyone gets therapy, life goes on, friends to lovers

Author’s summary: “Dude, you should totally come with me.” “What? Like on the road trip?" “No, come with me. To Austin. Get out of Beacon Hills.” Derek paused. “What?” he asked again.

This is one of those domestic type fics where there’s no angst or high drama, just people living their lives and finding ways to be happy. I love this author’s style, and this fic is no exception. Lovely, happy, satisfying.

Millstone by eleanor_lavish [Sterek, E, 31k] Sex worker Derek, client to boyfriend stiles, college au

Author’s summary: Derek waits until the door is shut behind him before he turns around. He holds out his hand, plants his ‘if you’re not weird about it, I won’t be’ smile on his face and says, “Nice to meet you, Stiles. I’m Michael. What kind of a good time are you looking for tonight?”

This is a particularly good example of the sex worker trope because it’s not really about Derek being a sex worker, it doesn’t glorify or condemn, it just examines it the same as it examines the other ways Derek responds and reacts to what he’s been through. And it’s told through Derek’s POV, which I liked. Plus Stiles is adorable and supportive in a completely non-pressuring way, which I like to think he would be. Charming.

i have always been the storm by stilinskisparkles [Sterek, E, 25k] Stormchaser Stiles, photographer Derek, break up make up

Author’s summary: that twister au i've been trying to write for three years and finally used a "pining exes" prompt to do so with.

Stilinskisparkles. What can I say that hasn’t been said before. Do you need anything more than to see their name to convince you this is worth reading? Perhaps you do, perhaps you’re new to Sterek. If so, you’re in for a treat. This, like all their fics, has wonderful characterisation, dialogue, emotion, depth, and universe building. It was just so atmospheric. They have a particular gift for showing everyone’s thoughts and motivations while staying within one POV, Derek’s in this case. It sounds easy but it’s really really hard to do subtly, and this author absolutely nails it. And everything else. Go. Read. Now.

The Hollow Moon by thepsychicclam [Sterek, E, 180k] Post s4 fix it, memory loss/alteration, slow burn, mystery

Author’s summary: It's the summer after Stiles' first year of college, and he's working a crappy job and dealing with nightmares and anxiety - but he's okay, he swears. He makes it through most days without too much trouble. Then, a certain werewolf comes back into town. Which Stiles doesn't care about, nope, not at all.

After two and a half years, Derek returns to Beacon Hills with his small Pack. Though he tried to move on, something just kept drawing him back to Beacon Hills, he's just not sure what. Now, he figures he can start building something like a life - but he keeps getting distracted by Stiles Stilinski of all people.

As you’d expect from something that’s 180k long, this is plotty and deep and takes its time taking you on a journey. It’s quintessentially a fix it fic, fixing all the things the author (any many others) didn’t like about canon at and after season 4 of the show. Which means, spoiler alert, a lot of people who are dead in canon are not dead here. But the way everything is explained and how it all fits together works so well, I didn’t mind in the slightest. It’s a bit like everything you wished canon could be, and that’s certainly not a bad thing. I almost wish I’d waited and read it all in one rather than as a WIP, because as much as I usually don’t mind reading things as WIPs, I feel like this should be read the way a novel is read - all in one. So if you can do it that way, I’d recommend it. If you can’t, read it anyway. It’s the canon we all deserve, and if Jeff won’t give it to us, we’ll damn well make it ourselves.

[indigosprite]

You’re definitely a specialist !

This is ..... a lot of new info wow. I can definitely see that it’s teetering into dangerous territory and hey it’s been a really long time since the show came out so I can only imagine how many wrong turns this took before it took a right one. Personally doesn’t sound like my cup of tea because one bad read and I’ll probably detest it for good skksks. But here's my Harmonization redesign !!!

So basically:

All the Guardians are bound to each other emotionally in a way that benefits the sky the most, I.e they all server the purpose of loving the sky. But they still feel the same pain as the sky if one of them breaks their bond to the group although they don’t share the same intense relationship amongst themselves that they do with the sky. It’s like a big friend group who all love the same person. And in turn they love each other a little to make this all work. Also their sense of loyalty to each other majorly stems from the knowledge that they were meant to be and they don’t question that.

If you want a new version here’s a rough draft of how I think it could be redesigned to be healthier.

- Remove the predestined meant for each other soulmate aspect of it. 

Make it so people are fully aware that they can pick a person and attempt to build a Harmony bond with them if they wanted to. It’s just not guaranteed it would work because you’re swearing yourself to this person instead of letting it happen naturally, basically the downfall of any arranged relationship (which is what harmonization is like tbh). But don’t stop there, instead of just knowing they’re supposed to/ Can have soulmates change it to where they know these bonds can be made at a pivotal point in their life when someone manages to affect them in a way they didn’t see coming so sometimes that randomness is there. Having bonds created this way gives all the characters involved so much more autonomy and can eliminate the future codependency for the most part.

- change what it means to be harmonized. And how it’s viewed in that world. (Not sure if in harmonization Fics  everyone has a sky but just in case.)

Instead of : (everyone has to) be bound by body and soul under one sky indefinitely. To belong as piece of this puzzle that will ultimately make you feel whole, Nothing else matters above these six relationships you share you will always hold them higher than yourself because this is where happiness will grow from.

Try: to give yourself willingly to others in turn for finding your own peace/happiness through facing your fears.

Make it a WANT not a Need. that can cause any sort of turmoil you want down the road too. 

Harmonization in this rebuild doesn’t mean having a full family either. everyone doesn’t seek it because the whole premise is needing a family to feel fulfilled. Some people are very happy without that sort of thing so harmonization is like an optional route to happiness that presents itself to those who really need it. Ik the sky is the reason for it even existing but how about: The bonds are better with a sky and all six guardians but people are fine with their three or one other harmonized person(s) their entire life. in fact make the sky rare like they actually are so most never even find one or the sky chooses to sit out because theyre fine alone. HELLOOOOO the Kokuyo gang are perfectly harmonized and need each other in this same kind of way with no sky and 3 mists.  ( in my redesign of this people can find a sky it’s not just the sky finding and arranging them all the time. Tsuna didn’t arrange his own family they all found him.)

PLOT BONUS: also this erases the whole problem where the guardian's don't have in depth relationships to one another they way they do the sky. if rain and lightning harmonize before even thinking about a sky it helps have more relationships in the group that are strong and don’t revolve around a sky.  

To explain further : everyone involved in harmony still has that “I’m missing something” feeling but they know it’s not the predestined need to belong to a sky with five others. If you want that angst and the need to have them feel they have to belong somewhere but have it be based on their own needs rather than a pack mentality make harmonization introspective.

 instead of its my destiny to find and belong to them 

Try:  I want to build something amazing and this is a potentially painful but equally rewarding way to go if I don’t mess up. 

- Let them pick their flames !!

Yes this will just be you picking their canon flames for them. It can be an interesting plot if you chose to change their flames but the universe tells them that’s not what you have to offer and makes them pick canon flames anyways. ultimately let them pick their canon flame for their own reasons. I say this because it can tie into my version of harmonization where you choose to give yourself up to get something. 

PLOT BONUS:  you think you don’t belong mid story and stop trying to harmonize, its painful there are tears the character pulls away....but BOOM you were just the wrong flame, you’re not their lightning but you could be their perfect storm. 

Again, (new) Harmonization= balancing others out and in turn getting balance for yourself. BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU CAN GIVE BEFORE YOU ASK FOR ANYTHING.

For example : Gokudera chooses to be a storm flame his reason being “I’m short tempered. I have all this rage I don’t want and all this strength for no cause other than myself. But if I could use it to help someone else I would be happier. I want to protect just as much as I destroy. Someone could be grateful for me if I used my fighting not just out of anger. If I could be someone’s storm I could really do some damage.”

His want for harmonization: to be angry for someone who deserves it and won’t do it for themselves. He wants to help you out his rage feels selfish and untamed. But if he had a friend that managed to affect him or be there for him in some way that causes harmonization he could offer them his rage for good use and they could offer him whatever they chose their flame for to him.

A harder one since it’s not predetermined and you have to choose to be there.

For Hibari :

Why his flame: He chooses cloud because it asks the least of him from a harmonization standpoint, he wanted to harmonize because he is bored. He’s also curious. Simple as that. hes never needed an in depth reason for anything. 

Why harmonization: We all know he very much likes being alone and not apart of anything, but power also intrigues him. He knows harmonizing means to be apart of a group and it comes across as asking for company. The entire premise is weak to him yet he does seek it out anyways because he also understands people who do harmonize especially those who do so naturally will in turn have the power he dreams of dealing with up close. He wants to offer his recklessness to someone on his own accord. To him harmonization is a stepping stone to being in spaces with Raw power and also being left the fuck alone. The people he determines worthy of his bond will ultimately be the ones dealing with him forever and if he picked them then they will be perfect. he doesn’t mind every other annoying group looking for a cloud not being able to approach him because they think he’s what they need because he’s insanely strong and oddly comforting to have on your side. He’ll be apart of a winning team that doesn’t ask much of him. Whether he warms up over time is up to you , but it’s sweet to know he believed in them.

-  Make bonds mutual and in turn make broken ones harder to conceal.

I see the appeal of this super easy plot point that can leave room for a looooooot of angst and hurt. It could be done even better. if you think of bonds as two halves then in order to break one fully both would have to want to. but in some cases it’s one sided, the bond still breaks for the person who wants it, but for the one who doesn’t it hurts just a bit more especially when that person finds their replacement if they choose to. they can only ever offer half their bond to another person of that same flame. 

i.e Mukuro breaks his bond with Tsuna, Tsuna didn’t want that but can harmonize with chrome nonetheless. they aren’t as close or in sync because he’s only half there. but they’re still goof for each other. until he lets go of Mukuro they wont reach their full protentional for each other. she can’t trust him he’s only half loyal to her.

plot bonus: the more you break a bond and reconcile with a person the weaker your harmonization with them gets. which makes sense because if you fight with your friends enough the relationship will suffer. 

- consider temporary harmonization.

The best friend you needed at eight isn’t always the same person you need at 25. harmonizing for a few months when you guys absolutely need each other but never doing so again could open so many doors. Dino did not always need reborn, hence reborn took on a new student and Dino grew into himself. think of temporary bonds like the mentors in this show. also hey, it could be great initiative as to why some of them seek it out. they got a taste. 

-Romance 

All of this was from a platonic viewpoint. if you want them all to be in a big poly relationship, or be paired off go for it. My only suggestion is to make characters approach it with caution because they know it can very easily cause a shift in their little family complete or not. also its grounds for a half broken bond 8/10 times. lucky for them harmonization already means they’re compatible, in what way is up to youuu.

plot bonus: do I love you as a partner  or is this a really intense platonic friendship i’m so happy to have? idk lets hold hands/ kiss and find out.

- Harmonization above anything else...Use it better  ! 

don't make it some natural occurrence they fall in to. if you choose to harmonize for your own reasons and manage to find that, chances are some characters might fight to keep that perfect balance. they finally get what they want and feel happy? they might panic and neglect other things to ensure this feeling stays. don’t make it something they cant fight against or a Natural behavior to not care about anything outside of this family. make it so happy they accidentally lose themselves and in turn might. they can fall into co-dependency but do not leave them there.

PLOT BONUS: if one person does this it might strain their relationship with another flame and threaten a broken bond. you get to make a character find themselves again and realize they were whole before and that’s why they fit to this family.   They weren’t just some vessel that needed ppl they were good enough for others to need them blah blah. 

- why only 7 ?

this is random but they should all be able to harmonize with ONE other family and become allies permanently. everyone does not have a matching family though. and this alone can be the higher up fate predestined nonsense because it only happens in the event that they even find a sky and have a mostly naturally harmonized fam(5/7.)  but this isn’t done by the sky flames but by every person of the same flame harmonizing. this can be a super rare plot point. also lets you have more characters 

since most will be abt Tsuna I think the role of the sky should change in all of this. they’re ultimately the uniter but don’t make that their job and plot. 

the role of the sky should be one that’s usually disregarded because the flame is rare, my personal lore would be that the sky flame is given last as the pieces fall into place. you’re all together now here is your missing piece. and it should be given to the person who never even originally volunteered for harmonization because they are the worst off in the fact that they are too insecure to even attempt to look for this happiness for themselves.  but nobody knows that this is how sky flames are born. your family finds you 

keep em emotionally connected, but not to the point where they are one

harmony does mean they end up depending on each other and agree to be a very solid unit. instead of making it so they can feel everyone's pain, make it so they have to put in the work to fix it individually. instead of them sharing every thought and emotion make it so the guardian best suited for another's issues at the moment can get a gist of what the other is dealing with and attempt to fix it. they all need a specific aspect about one another, utilize that if you need this aspect in your story.  if something like killing someone was weighing on tsuna who would be better equipped to talk with him. Mukuro who would explain that nobody is black and white and he needs to accept other parts of himself or a very apologetic Hayato who wants to tell him he can never do any wrong. let them be individuals who are more accustomed to what the others need but ultimately cant just read their minds. they have to prove themselves as each others guardians. 

i was recently thinking about fanon harmonization and how maybe it could be healthier?

don’t get me wrong i personally love fanon harmonization, it’s straight up my favorite part of the khr fanlore. makes for great angst and whatnot, but yeah, like i said it isn’t the healthiest take around.

(not that it has to be of course, if that’s what you want to go with.)

i was thinking it’d be fun to “redesign” it if only for the fun of the exercice alone, from “something so codependent you literally feel physical pain whithout it and also are scarred forever and you can never heal from it” (that’s my experience of fanon harmony anyway?) to,,,Not That lol.

do you guys maybe go with another form of harmony that isn’t canon or fanon? because i’d love to hear about it!