#the writers had so many opportunities to fix their mistakes

[nephilimeq]

Teen Wolf and Lack of Character Development - Scott McCall

Incoming Rant: Re-watching the first season of TW I have realised why I never felt that Scott was The Hero of the story even if the writers did not stop hammering the idea that he was pure and perfect and always right. He never sacrifices himself. This is a classic of fiction, the hero will always be the one who makes the greatest sacrifices for the common good and for those they love, renouncing happiness, normality and even their own life. 

But Scott never does that. Even in the first season this is very clear. The first few episodes emphasise that playing lacrosse and dating Allison are things he wants, but are dangerous to himself and those around him. The narratively logical thing would be that, after a period of selfish refusal, he would realise that the right thing to do is to give up what he loves until he has better control of himself and his new powers, sacrificing his temporary happiness for the good of others.

Instead, the narrative rewards Scott with control gained through Deux Ex Machina and not hard work, he gets to date Allison and becomes a Lacrosse star without sacrifices and therefore doesn't grow or evolve at all. This keeps up for all 6 seasons. Meanwhile, everyone else around him is constantly sacrificing their safety, sanity and even life for the common good.  And ten years later in the movie nothing has changed. Scott’s still not the one performing the sacrifice, he's still not the hero yet. He gives nothing, but the narrative rewards him with true love. Meanwhile Derek gives his own life to save those he loves he is The Hero.

So. Yes. To all of this.

I have made a countless number of posts about Scott’s development. Specifically, his lack of development. The writers had every opportunity to make him a decent character -- and Posey could have performed it and done everything at least moderately well -- but instead, they caved into Jeff Davis’ whims.

There were other writers in the room who should have held Jeff accountable and written Scott as a proper hero: a hero who sacrifices his own selfish wants for the greater good.

They do not have the right to tell us not to like characters such as Stiles or Derek more because they were the ones who wrote those characters using the hero’s journey narrative that they very easily could have written for Scott...but they didn’t. When the creator of Teen Wolf speaks up against those fans, he has no one to blame but himself and the other writers, and to say anything to the contrary just makes him look like a hypocrite.

You cannot expect your audience to believe your main character is a hero when you do not give them faults to overcome and make them a better person.

They wrote Scott as never taking consequences for his own actions -- instead, they had everyone else suffer the consequences of his actions and had them clean up his mess and deal with the repercussions. (not going into detail here because I have already done so on many other posts)

But when you show characters such as Stiles and Derek dealing with complex emotional and physical traumas and then doing things to try and improve themselves, while also dealing with their own mistakes and growing from them...but then don’t hold your main character to the same standard, how can you be surprised when no one relates to them? The accountability for Scott’s lack of accountability can be traced right back to the writers’ room.

I genuinely could have liked Scott. In fact, when he was being sweet and helping his mom, I loved him! He had the potential to be a fantastic main character...but the writer’s neglected their responsibility as writers.

To put it simply: the writers suck.

The only reason the show lasted was because they had good cinematography, and they brought on some experienced older actors into the cast, and they had two natural talents on screen: Dylan O’Brien and Tyler Hoechlin.

That’s it.

[physalian]

Plot Holes and How to Fill Them (Or, The Hidden Potential in Your Mistakes)

“But why didn’t they just do that earlier!”

“You can time travel – so time travel!”

“Doesn’t X have Y spell? Why aren’t they using it to escape?”

“You. Have. Telekinesis! How are you this stupid?”

Plot holes! The bane of every writer’s existence. You think you’ve polished your beautiful manuscript, you have it all sent out for the masses to consume and praise and shower with compliments and adoration… and then they start tugging at a thread that may or may not begin to unravel your entire story. You’ve read this thing top to bottom, forwards and backwards and upside down, so many times the letters are burned into your brain. You mumble your monologues in your sleep — how did you not see this? How do you fix this?

See this post about beginning the writing process that might help you avoid opening a plot hole entirely with a solid enough script and outline.

Types of Plot Holes

Your magic system’s established rules have just been broken for TeNSioN

Your Deus Ex Machina really did come out of nowhere and is quite out of character

Why doesn't Character just run away from a fight they can't win?

Characters forgetting they have superpowers, extreme intelligence, handy tools or weapons, survival skills, common sense, or crucial information to escape and/or solve a situation

Characters dying for the above mistakes when said death could have been avoided

The entire story could have been avoided had Character A just told Character B the truth

Character X should have known ___ all along given their profession/backstory/friend circle/education/personality

And variations of the above, I’m sure I’m missing a couple. Fixing plot holes generally come in two camps: Those you can fix by rewriting the existing manuscript that contains the hole, or those you have to work around from a previous manuscript that’s already been published.

Why Plot Holes Happen

Plot holes happen in reality. Expecting your first, second, or 15th draft to be completely foolproof is utter nonsense. Real people forget stuff they’re supposed to know all the time, tools that would be useful are left behind, GroupThink makes very bad decisions.

The difference is: You are writing fiction. Your goal is to be entertaining, not necessarily realistic. A character simply *forgetting* Macguffin X at the climax of the story does not make for an entertaining read, no matter how likely it might be to happen in the real world.

You’re making this entire world up as you go and that alone is an impressive feat millions of others can only dream about – cut yourself some slack, okay? Everything is fixable.

Plot holes also happen because we’re so engrossed in our own story that we forget it’s all made up. You’re 22 chapters into a 24 chapter novel and you’ve just realized your psychic hero would never have been caught unawares like this. “But that’s just how he is!”

No. Stop. That’s not just how he is. That’s just how you wrote him – and you can go back and un-write him. Any excuse you can dream up you can un-write, and unfortunately, you’ll likely have to do a fair bit of it if you still have the opportunity.

Plot holes generally open long after the inciting incident that causes them. If you’re going to fix it, duct-taping together a solution in that very same scene isn’t the way to do it. You have to figure out why it’s a hole at all, then go back and fix its foundations.

Finding Your Own Plot Holes

Sometimes you’re lucky enough to stumble upon them before it’s too late. A fair bit of the time, though, your audience has to tell you. Finding your own plot holes requires stepping back from your work and looking at it like you’re just a reader, not the author.

Read your plot out loud to yourself and keep asking questions like:

Does this make sense for the scene?

Does this only exist to look cool at the cost of logic?

Are these rules I wrote too easy to break or contradictory in any way?

Is there any other way for this character to escape this situation?

Is the only solution here too contrived?

That, and having an army of beta readers who should show you flaws you’ve overlooked. Even then, some things just aren’t obvious at all until someone too smart for their own good points out something no one else considered before.

It’s okay. It’s not the end of the world.

Filling Plot Holes

Fix your broken magic system

A “magic system” broadly describes any type of powers/abilities/supernatural entities that function in your world. They can be in high fantasy, urban fantasy, sci-fi, or any genre really. The Force is a magic system, as much as is bending in Last Airbender even if no one calls it “magic”.

For example: Force users are telekinetic… and yet don’t simply repeatedly spam the “chuck my enemies into a wall/off a cliff/anywhere that is away from me” button. It’s what you’d call a “soft” magic system, it doesn’t have explicit rules on how and when it can and should be used. It just *is*.

Fixing holes in your magic system first demands examining why you wrote it the way you did, why you gave it these specific rules, or why you didn’t, and all the ways characters should otherwise be able to use it when your story demands they get creative.

For soft magic systems — never let the magic system win the day. It invites far too much scrutiny. Gandalf from Lord of the Rings is a Wizard. He can do an undefined number of spells and has an unclear number of abilities and limit to his reach. Gandalf’s magic is never the saving grace of the Fellowship. So asking “why didn’t Gandalf just do X” isn’t ever a question people have because success never depends on Gandalf doing X.

Everyone hates on the time turner in Harry Potter, as they should. Time travel is essential to the plot of Prisoner of Azkaban, without it the heroes fail. And yet, because it is time travel, why it never existed earlier and why they never use it again to solve more massive plot problems is a valid question. As goes with many spells and abilities in the series.

For hard magic systems — remember that you wrote the rules, you can go back and change them at any time before it’s published. Bending in Last Airbender is rarely the focus of any conflict. Yes, two benders will fight each other, but it’s not “who’s the stronger bender,” it’s “who’s smarter with their element”. Who better uses their environment? Which one is racing against a clock before reinforcements arrive and overwhelm them? Which one runs the risk of exposing themselves if they start bending? Whose mental state is crippling their bending today?

These are all character-driven explanations for why certain abilities do or don’t manifest in a given scene… until the finale when it really is just a clash of red and blue aura lasers.

There is never a scene where a character is trapped when they shouldn’t be. Never a “why didn’t you just X” moment, because it’s never about the bending, it’s about the bender.

Turn plot-reasons into character-reasons

This means taking a “why don’t they just do X” and making the reason because one of the protagonists is morally against doing it, not because the hand of the author demands it.

In Last Airbender, Aang is vocally against simply killing the Fire Lord. It would be easier, it would risk far less casualties and carnage, it’s fastest. And yet. Aang doesn’t do it simply because he’s not strong enough or he doesn’t have some magical super weapon, or the stars have aligned and now he’s lost a very convenient ability – Aang doesn’t want to take the easy road because that’s who he is as a person.

He’s been raised as a monk to value the preservation of life above all else (ignoring any accidental casualties over the course of the series). Him being desperate to not simply kill Ozai is central to his character and even when he has the chance in the climax of the fight, he still doesn’t take it.

Now “why didn’t you do that earlier” does, still, concern the “energy bending” established out of nowhere just for the finale so Aang doesn’t have to compromise his morals to win… but the show is so damn good and Ozai’s just desserts so damn sweet it doesn’t really matter.

Making these plot decisions character decisions, so long as they are in-character, gives some juicy potential for schisms within Team Protagonist as fan favorites clash over ideals and morals and whether or not the greater good is worth them sacrificing something so central to their being.

This also applies to characters not sharing crucial information with each other. Make them distrustful of the others, or let them attempt it anyway and have some other consequence for the effort. Anything is better than a character sitting on valuable info simply to maintain the mystery.

Avoid Deus Ex Machinas

The “surprise reinforcement cavalry charge” is one of my favorite deus ex machinas in fantasy. Everybody cheers, it looks amazing, the music is swelling, our heroes on the battlefield realize they haven’t been forsaken by their friends, etc. In Lord of the Rings, yes, Theoden could have arrived 30 minutes earlier and saved even more lives, but we already knew he was on his way moving as fast as he could without exhausting his horses. Theoden’s army also took care of the bulk of the battle so when Aragorn arrives with the second surprise reinforcements, it’s less a decisive blow that comes out of nowhere and more the victory lap.

In “Battle of the Bastards,” Game of Thrones has its third surprise cavalry charge of the series, only this one much more explicitly comes to save the day. The difference between this scene and Theoden’s charge is: Audiences had no idea Littlefinger was on his way, and neither did Jon Snow. Had Sansa told him she had a plan, Jon could have waited. He wasn’t backed against a wall and forced to fight right then and there, he could have stalled an extra hour by just not showing up to the battlefield to wait for his cavalry. With Sansa inexplicably not telling him, she risked his life and the lives of his entire army because the hand of the writers wanted to keep it a surprise. Worst of all, when the battle is over, he compliments her decision, despite all the blood on her hands.

Surprise reinforcements, saviors, powers, and abilities always run the risk of “why didn’t they do that earlier” and you should be asking yourself the same question. If you can’t come up with an explanation other than “because it’ll look cool” go back to the drawing board.

Or, have your very own characters pissed that the savior didn’t just do that earlier. Have your characters ask where this special power was, have it mean something to them and the story at large. Had Jon been angry with Sansa, given their incredibly pyrrhic victory and the potentially avoidable death of their youngest brother, it might’ve made for some interesting character drama.

Give your saving graces deadly costs

“Why didn’t they just do X earlier?”

“Because doing X would have killed Character D, dummy.”

Giving your super special magic, mutant, super, or supernatural powers costs, drawbacks, and limitations forces the characters who use them to not resort to them every single chance they get. Their magic drains their physical stamina, or the demon they made a deal with camping in their brain threatens to overtake their psyche, or the sword is cursed and every time the hero raises it in battle, they lose a little piece of themselves. Or, using this creepy power strains their relationship with their friends or community.

Without risk and consequences, you cannot avoid “why didn’t they do that earlier,” because the only answer you have to give is “because I, the author, said so.” The only time a character is allowed to have selective amnesia about their superpowers is if it’s been established beforehand as a potential problem. Then it’s not “this came out of nowhere.” Then your audience is dreading the entire time waiting for that chekhov’s gun to fire.

Don’t compromise your story for sensationalism

I can complain about ~subverting expectations~ in another post, but what I mean here is this: Are you writing this scene purely for shock value, for the sake of a twist, because a story this grim demands at least one character death, or because it’s going to look epic?

In this post about pacing and this post about how to write tone, I talked about making your scenes pull double duty. You can write a scene for shock and awe, but if it’s at the expense of a character’s integrity or intelligence, come up with another way to make it spectacular.

You want the villain to monologue to give the heroes time to save the world? Then write a villain with an ego and personality that would monologue. You want the hero to be a one-man-army? Then write their personality as the lone wolf type and have it be a flaw of theirs that they keep striking out alone, consequences be damned.

You absolutely need the hero to not take the easy road and fight the bad guy without using their most effective weapon? Give them a reason to stall this fight. Maybe they really do need to simply run out a clock, or they don’t actually want to kill/subdue their opponent, or in doing so, the villain’s death is what causes the Bad Thing to happen.

If I write a character that can kill with just a look, every time I put them in a dangerous situation I need to then justify why they don’t do that over and over again, unless it’s by their own stubborn integrity that they choose not to.

If I write a villainous plan so devious and well thought out, the only thing standing in the way is living protagonists? I need a reason the villain doesn’t just murder the heroes every chance they get. Maybe they’re internally struggling over actually going through with it, or their ego demands the hero doesn’t get a quick or honorless death, or they do actually need a living hero for the plan to work.

Fixing Plot Holes in Sequels

All of the above is advice for issues within the same manuscript. What happens if you’ve already published and have the chance to address a known plot hole in the sequel?

About the worst thing you can do is slap in a throwaway line or hasty explanation to cover your ass. Everyone reading and watching will notice. Saying nothing is better than saying that.

See the duct-tape in Rise of Skywalker when the heroes explained that they couldn't just hypersspace-jump another ship into the enemy fleet because it worked so horribly effectively last time. Doesn't matter that they could have put it on autopilot or sacrificed a droid, or that, at any point in the history of Star Wars, someone else could have and should have done this desperate maneuver. For the sake of "looking cool" it opened an entire sinkhole.

Less a “hole” and more an inconsistency — the pegasus Blackjack in Percy Jackson is explicitly a mare, a female horse, in one book, and then inexplicably male in later books. Why? Well the author made a mistake, simple as that. He did *not* attempt to explain this error away or dig the hole deeper. It just is. Though I’m not sure why Blackjack couldn’t just stay a mare and how he didn’t reference the previous book when writing the sequel is a bit baffling.

If your heroes can no longer use the Deus Ex Machina they used before – have them attempt to use it, and then come up with a solid reason why it’s not possible. Maybe it was one-time use, or the savior simply doesn’t want to, or the cost/risk is too high to attempt it again, or it simply can’t be found and it’s very frustrating.

Have the heroes be morally opposed to doing what they did before, or overconfident, or skeptical that it will even work again only for that choice to bite them in the ass later. Have the magic item all used up, the recipe to recreate it lost to history. There’s a hundred better excuses than the hand of the author simply saying so.

—

If you aren’t going to write a sequel and you accept living with the plot hole unfilled… chances are people are going to love the story despite its flaws. Harry Potter is the poster child of “why didn’t they use X spell to solve the problem” or “they have a spell for X, yet they don’t have a spell for Y?” and how many people love that story?

In the end, a plot hole can be tiny or massive and chances are the story you told is entertaining enough to make up for it. It’s just a story, it’s just fiction. Learn from your mistakes so the next piece you create is even better.

[thegoldheartlocketandkey-blog]

It’s been made pretty clear by the fandom, not just Buddie Shippers, that we aren’t really fans of who Buck and Eddie end up with in the finale.

The biggest issue I have with the pairings is that they weren’t worked up, they kind of just showed up and we have no reason to care about them.

If these women are supposed to be endgame, at least give us ample reason to support the choice.

Natalia: They really screwed up her character because there was so much potential in making her interesting and someone we would like to get to know. She’s a death dula and Buck died. Instead of having her tell Buck that it’s so “cool” that he died they could of had her play an active role in having him process his death. I mean they still have the opportunity to do that but after they gave us a cringe date, a recycled story line, but with less depth, they gave us too many reasons to dislike her as a character for me to even see that play out.

They made the same mistake they made with Lucy. Instead of having Natalia be a friend to Buck they force her to be a love interest which adds nothing new to bucks character.

But imagine Buck’s character development if Natalia was a friend. He would have gone from Buck 1.0 ( The guy who only does hook ups), to Buck 2.0 (the guy who just ends up in relationships) to Buck 3.0 (the guy who chooses himself and is able to be friends with a woman).

We can also address the fact that there is a lack of chemistry between Buck and Natalia. The kiss in the finale was awkward and not in a cute endearing way. I will say, I love that she doesn’t look like she could be related to Buck. I’m willing to see their relationship play out during season 7, but I just can’t see it being the end game.

Marisol: Where did she come from. What do you mean this is the girl that has Eddie acting like a middle schooler. She came out of nowhere and we know almost nothing about her, besides the fact that she fixes her brother’s mistakes.

I rewatched Season 6, Episode 5: Home Invasion, where we are first introduced to Marisol and after watching the episode, I believe the fan theory that her brother’s rescue was originally written as a boyfriend being rescued. But after the scenes where already filmed, the writers decided she’d be the love interest so they re-recorded the audio of the scene. I’m serious go back and watch her emergency, there is something off about it.

Marisol to me feels like another Ana. No substance, no reason for me to care about her. They both barely interacted, so their phone call makes less sense the more you think about it.

The same episode where Eddie is told he can’t look for love, he finds what he’s “been looking for”. This feels like Eddie is again only doing what he thinks he is supposed to do. Instead of processing his feelings of loneliness, he’s doing what he thinks the world expects him to do and date someone. He married Shannon because he felt like he had to. He stayed with Ana because he thought it was best for Christopher. And he’s settling for Marisol because he doesn’t want to be alone. None of those reasons are good reasons to pursue someone for a serious relationship.

It’s one thing to have Eddie date because he wants to be outside his comfort zone, meet people, and have fun. It’s a completely other thing to have him date because he feels like he needs to.

The only way to make Marisol a good character is by having her be a person that helps Eddie figure that out. She helps him realize that it’s not just about the end game, but his ability to just enjoy her company and not so worried about what the end result. She can just be someone he dates because she was fun to date. A relationship that shows him that you can have someone be an important part of your journey, but not your end game. Like a summer fling.

Given the fact that the actress who plays Marisol recently reposted a transphobic meme and couldn’t even attempt a sincere apology, I hope we don’t get to see her at all in season 7. She can be explained away by Eddie mentioning her once and just saying it felt promising but she just wasn’t the one. I have no interest in see their relationship play out.

Buddie: In my opinion, the best match for Buck and Eddie will always be each other. The writers have their relationship set up as the perfect slow burn, friends to lover scenario. And even though they screwed up the finale a bit, they can easily correct their wrongs. Buck and Eddie’s chemistry is undeniable and having them end up together would play into their individual story lines so perfectly.

I need this relationship that has developed organically to flourish in Season 7.

I will continue to manifest Buddie and let me use this moment to state couch theory is not dead. Buck will just need to get rid of another couch.

[the-kr8tor]

KATY PLEASE HELP PEOPLE ARE SAYING IM PREGNANT IM NOT PREGNANT >:( Daily Hobie HC! Writers appreciation today (sorry artists hobie loves you too i swear) Whatever you write, Hobie's always your number one hype-man. He loves when you show your work to him and enjoys reading it. He'll even go so far as you cuddle with you on the couch with a blanket over your laps as he balances your laptop on his knee, reading intently while your head rests on his shoulder. He fiddles with his reading glasses, taking a break from contacts for the day and beginning to read your work. He'll pitch in ideas for some parts, and is the main mastermind behind the plot twists you two create for characters. You remember one time you managed to bring him to tears in his eyes with one paragraph, to which he buried his face into your hair with adoring praise on how it was absolutely astounding. He will even offer himself to be your personal grammar and spell-checker, reading through your work to point out minor mistakes and just proofreading it. Him pointing out mistakes rarely ever happens though, since Hobie's convinced that whenever you write, perfection is born. During the cold winter nights, Hobie envelops you from behind as he bundles the two of you in bed, his chin resting on your head with his arms covering your entire midsection, watching your fingers work away at paragraph after paragraph of intrigue and wondering, reading along with your words. At times, his hand will drift to yours, gently taking them in his own and massaging your palms, like how you do to him when he's done shredding his guitar. You lean into him whenever he does this, as he relieves the early cramps and spreads his warmth along your body. While he's rubbing gentle circles into the palm of your hand, he brushes his lips against your knuckles with feathery, light kisses, before asking what you had in mind for the plot. Hobie loved to listen to you ramble. You both would often spend hours upon hours just talking about possible plot points to make the story delve deeper into something to scramble a reader's brain or the opportunities for plot twists. Hell, once you both had made a pinboard with ideas and ways to fix minor plot holes, red string connecting them all as if it was a criminal investigation board. If you were writing anything which included minor lovey-dovey scenes, Hobie would be teasing you about it, either pointing out that it used to be him and you, or just randomly whispering 'make them kiss' throughout the day. When you would make the two characters kiss for the sake of just listening to Hobie and not to put in the story, he'd retaliate with a comment about it being pg, playfully pinching your side in response as you both laugh. Hobie chuckled as you slapped him lightly against his chest, deleting the small kiss scene, but not before you caught the words 'we should do that' slipping from his lips. As you turn to look back at him, Hobie's face is already close to yours as he steals a kiss from your lips with a mischievous chuckle, letting you turn back to your laptop screen to hide your flustered expression. If he feels that you've been staring too much at the screen on your desk, Hobie will shamelessly lift you out of your seat and throw you over his shoulder. He'll place you onto the bed, before laying himself across you with an expression akin to a satisfied cat. No matter how many times you protest, Hobie will not let you get up until you've had a break and a nap. Once you fall asleep, he'll pull a blanket over the two of you and pull you close to his chest, carding his fingers through your hair with absent-minded humming. And when you wake up? Hobie's the one asleep, holding you snugly into his arms like a plush toy. Of course, his grip is still loose enough for you to easily get out, but do you really want to know? After seeing how adorable he looks with his cheek smooshed into the pillow and his eyes closed so peacefully. -🐦‍⬛

Put a balloon inside your shirt and pop it in front of them and scream and cry like your actual baby popped inside that'll show them

Daily Hobie HC ❤️❤️❤️

YES OUR TURN!

This is what I'm talking about!!! No one is talking abt how lonely it can be to write sometimes :( like I'd write for 3 hours straight in absolute silence (not even hozier can fill the void) and start thinking abt how lonely that was

Man I miss having my best friend read my stuff :(

Nonetheless, I would not want someone right next to me reading while I write lmaooo that sounds nerve wracking!! But if it's hobie tho 🤭🤭

HAHAHAHHA 'make them kiss' me @ myself every time I open my doc

'we should do that' HELL YEAH WE SHOULD HOBIE

Pleaseeee I need Hobie to massage my aching wrists and take a nap with me after writing 🥹🥹

You got me yearning once again!!

[eomayas]

hi! if you're still taking requests, may i request a baekhyun angst writing? i'll leave it up to you as long as it doesn't involve sickness or de*th :) thank youu~

a/n: hi, thank you for the request and your patience, as well as your support! i’m not the best angst writer and don’t really know how good or concise this is, so sorry for any mistakes. hope you like it 💕 (i’m also really bad at ending all of my stories so bear with me)

broken promises • bbh [req]

pairing: idol!baekhyun x f!reader

genre: angst

warnings: angst

“so this is it?” he asks, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. his eyes shine with tears that he is trying not to let fall.

you shrug. “i cant keep doing this, baekhyun,” you sniff, wiping under your eyes with the sleeve of your shirt. his eyes stay locked on the floor, as if a solution to fixing your relationship will spew from the carpet.

baekhyun can’t even remember how you two ended up here. one minute, he was walking in the door and the next you were telling him that you wanted to break up. his brain turned off after the word left your lips, and all he could hear was the echo of your voice in his head saying “i’m done”. “done” as in with him, with your relationship, with waiting on him, with waiting for him. simply just done, over it.

he tried to salvage it, begged you to see it through. tried to reason with you that he’d be better, he’d make more time for you, that he loved you. but he’d fallen short on so many of the promises of the past, that his words went in one ear and out the other for you.

you never wanted it to get to this point, but it started to feel inevitable. he was gone a lot—you knew that’d be the case when you agreed to be his girlfriend. you practically signed up for it. and it was fine, you could deal with it as long as he came back to you, and made time for you. he held up his end of the deal, coming right home to you once he was finished with his schedules, reserving time—days—just for you, turning off his phone and ignoring calls from his friends.

he did it all, until he stopped. he got comfortable—all it took was you saying it was fine that he saw some friends once, to let him forget about you completely. those days turned into mere hours turned into quick hellos and goodbyes. you lived alone half of the year, and it started to feel like he was just there to sleep on the days he was back from his schedules. there were barely any signs that he lived with you beyond his clothes in the closest. anyone could come over and assume that you lived alone, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong.

you gave him the benefit of the doubt every time. you convinced yourself that he’d see you when he got the chance. but he never made time, so the opportunity never arose. it got to a point where you were lucky to even hold a conversation with him for longer than a few minutes.

bakehyun was a stranger in your house. it felt odd to even see him sit in the chair across from you. it’s probably the first time it’s ever been occupied by him.

“y/n, please,” he begs. he doesnt even know what he’s begging for—another chance, reconsideration? understanding?

you shake your head. “no, baekhyun. i cant be with you anymore,” a single tear falls out of his eye and drags down the length of his cheek, curving down his jaw before dropping onto the wood floor.

this day wasn’t supposed to happen. these words were never supposed to leave your mouth. and nothing could have ever prepared baekhyun for it, not even if it was telegrammed to him, or if the signs were always there.

baekhyun sniffs and finally lifts his head to look at you, and feels like crumpling all over again, because you’re no longer his. the woman across from him is now a stranger, somebody he once had and took for granted.

he wants so badly to touch you one last time, to hold and to kiss you to commit to memory. he needs something to hold onto, to remind himself it wasn’t always like this, but maybe it has been and he’s been too blind to see it. “i can be better,” he sniffs, pushing his hair back from his forehead.

you shake your head. you once had better, had the best from him. it’s hard to believe that he could ever be that same man again. “baekhyun, it’s over,” and it kills you to keep saying it, because every time the words leave your lips it becomes more real. your life with baekhyun is unfolding in the worst possible way.

it’s helpless now. any words he says will be like grasping at straws, and he’s run out. he’s run out of chances to make things better. and he’ll curse himself forever for losing the one thing in his life that meant the most, all because he couldn’t read the signs that were right in front of him.

[emotionallychargedtowel]

10 comfort shows

I was tagged by @imlivingformyselfdontmindme for this thing. Thanks! The instructions are simple: "List 10 comfort shows and then tag 10 people." But I'm not a big tagger, and a lot of folks I know have done this already. If you haven't, though, and you're interested, please do!

The instructions said "10 comfort shows" not your favorite 10 comfort shows or the ones you watch the most often. So I made a list and I picked the ten that I immediately thought of something to say about. i'm all about comfort viewing and watching things repeatedly so I had to leave quite a few things off of this list.

Future Boy Conan

I've lost count of how many times I've seen this series. It really is one of the most life-affirming, wholesome (in the real way) pieces of media I've ever encountered. The first time I saw it, I went into it expecting to see a fairly run-of-the-mill anime series with some early glimmers of Miyazaki's aesthetic and themes. But it's a frickin' masterpiece. Themes and visual mannerisms you see throughout Miyazaki's career are already here, full-blown, but it's also distinct from his other work in a way that makes it feel really fresh even if you've gone through his whole movie oeuvre. Mostly it just always has its heart impeccably in the right place.

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Don't talk to me about that movie. This is the adaptation against which all others must be measured. Faithful as heck to the book in most respects (we won't talk about Wet Darcy either), with an incredible cast, not to mention the costumes, set design, and locations. Watching this miniseries as a teenager could be the reason I'm still obsessed with shows and movies where half of the story is told through meaningful glances.

To My Star (1&2)

I really lucked out having this show as one of my first BLs, except that I nearly squandered the opportunity because I wasn't paying close attention and missed a lot of the subtle details. And this is a show that is full of really subtle details! Talk about telling a story through meaningful glances. There's a lot going on on a nonverbal level in this one. It helps that the leads have such a great, nuanced kind of chemistry together and both just seemed to show up for these roles ready to dig deep and be present. Thank goodness I went back and rewatched this one after that first attempt! I know for some folks the second season premise was really painful, but I found it to be completely worth it in the end. I'd happily watch a third season if they made one. In the meantime, I continue to rewatch both series (sometimes in movie form) regularly and I notice different things each time.

Spaced

This show was there for me at a time in my life when I needed comfort shows the most, when I was rebuilding my life after the abusive relationship that consumed most of my 20s. It's usually described in terms of the various pop culture references it uses, the movies the director and one of the co-writer/co-stars went on to make, or in some kind of generational terms as representing a demographic.

But I don't think those things are what make it interesting and rewarding. I guess the thing it boils down to at the end of the day is that it's very much a found family story. And an unconventional love story in which the two leads may or may not get together--after the series--but no matter what type of relationship theirs turns out to be, it will have changed them both for the better. In the meantime they’re facing their fears, honestly fixing their mistakes, and broadening their horizons, and they’re always lovable while being riddled with personal flaws.

Also, after having been raised on Coen Brothers movies and coming of age during the heyday of The Simpsons, I'm a sucker for a really quotable piece of media.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979)

When it comes to adaptations, I usually have a strong preference for one while writing off the others. In this case, there are things I appreciate about the Tomas Alfredson film that this adaptation doesn't do as well, but this version has a great deal to say for itself too. The adaptation really captures Le Carré's voice, the cast is incredible, and the whole miniseries just has this wonderful pervasive tone to it that's not like anything else. (The soundtrack is unobtrusive but very effective, and it has a lot to do with that.)

I don't know if it's the fact that this series came out when I was a toddler and has the look and feel of a lot of shows my parents would watch on PBS when I was a child (heck, I bet they watched this very show on PBS), but this suspenseful spy thriller makes me feel relaxed as hell. Having seen it a ton of times helps, too. There's never anything resembling a surprise. But even if this type of series doesn't feel like your childhood and even if you're going to be surprised right and left by the plot, I think it's an incredibly well-constructed piece of work that almost anyone could enjoy.

Emma (2009)

I'm very picky about my Austen adaptations. Emma has been adapted quite a bit, and I've found at least something to like about every version I've seen. But this is the best one by a good margin. I always love Romola Garai in anything, and she's lovely here--assertive, vulnerable, annoying when she should be and charming the rest of the time. She does a wonderful job portraying all of the subtle gradations of self-awareness that build in Emma throughout the story.

But I think the decisive factor has to be the screenplay and direction (not to mention other behind-the-scenes aspects). The folks behind this version just seem to have prioritized capturing the subtleties of the novel more than others. There are a few points where this is particularly apparent. One example is how this adaptation treats Frank Churchill. The 2009 version of Frank shows what a capricious, moody, immature person he is, but it also shows his good nature and the ways he tries to be open (in the novel, he attempts to tell Emma about his engagement to Jane Fairfax on multiple occasions and mistakenly believes she understands him). Hewing to the novel makes for a more complex, engaging character than the two-dimensional cad most other adaptations make out of Frank. The portrayal of the Box Hill incident is another example. This version of Emma has the most uncomfortable, unsparing rendering of Emma's insulting comment to Miss Bates that I've seen, but it also tempts us to laugh along with Emma. The scene in the novel is exactly the same way--it's complicated and makes us acknowledge our ambivalence. This adaptation keeps all of these strands alive in the story and the miniseries is better for it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

It's weird looking back now on how BtVS seemed back when it was new. Our standards were different for a reason. TV really wasn't as interesting or as progressive as it is now, and the range of both was narrower. Having a cishet white dude showrunner who would willingly utter the word "feminism" seemed like a remarkable piece of good fortune. And of course, we didn't know what was going on behind the scenes.

I imprinted on this show like a baby chick back then. It's not really possible for me to be objective about it. If I think it's good, how much of that is its actual quality and how much is the fact that it seemed like such a gift back then compared to what we were all used to? Well, some of it at least was actual quality, but I can't tell how much. So this show is special to me partly because it's grandfathered in due to circumstances and partly because it's actually good.

I remember when it seemed wild to me that there were people who could talk about  a TV show and discuss episodes by title. BtVS was the first show I did that with myself. Eventually, it didn't seem that remarkable. Basically, this was the show that made me into a fan.

This is another show that was there for me after my abusive relationship ended. I remember at times when I was lonely (which happened a lot; not only was I newly single, I also had to start almost entirely from scratch when it came to friendships) I would look at my little dvd binder thingy with my pile of Buffy discs and tell myself, "If all else fails, I have all these shows to watch until things improve."

She-Ra

There’s that found family theme again! How could you go wrong with a story that starts with foundlings raised by a witch and a clone soldier to fight in their evil army, then follows them as they slowly get their consciousnesses raised and find their own identities and meaningful connections? It's a remarkably subversive and deeply queer show. We were in a miniature golden age for high-quality, politically progressive, LGBTQ+ friendly American animated series for a while there, and this show was not only a part of it but a particular highlight. It's been tapering off for a while now and it's sad to see it come to an end, but at least we got shows like this one and we can keep watching them and introducing people to them.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

I don’t know why a series that’s so steeped in existential dread feels so cozy to me, but it does. Well, I guess it’s because the show is about finding your people, your coping strategies, and the unapologetically weird little hobbies that will help you to muddle through war, loss, spiritual crises, and the challenges of long-term love.

That, and it reminds me of my mom.

A lot of ink has been spilled over this series so I won't try to explain beyond that why it's so special. But I will say that it is absolutely the best Star Trek series. It's unpopular with a certain type of fan, but those philistines dislike it for exactly the same qualities that make it so great.

Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger

I'm indecisive and bad at picking favorites, so I'm not sure what I'd consider my favorite tokusatsu series or even just my favorite sentai series. Zenkaiger would rank pretty high up there in both at the very least. But this is a list of comfort shows, not favorite shows or the best shows, and that's a category in which Zenkaiger is completely unbeatable. It's hopeful, funny, idealistic, and more than anything, definitely the sweetest toku show I've ever seen. It's also easy to pick a random episode and watch it out of context because of the villain-of-the-week thing (not that the larger-scale arc of the series wasn't also compelling).

This is yet another found family show. Families of origin are still very important in the series. The central characters are all trying to find, help, or learn about one or more of their family members. But it's also about blending your found family and your family of origin into a group so inclusive that it includes aliens and robots.

I'm only picking one gif for each show on this list except for this one. I couldn't pass up having one for Kaito, one for Stacy, and one for Zox.

(Edited to add: I switched out the three gifs here for a single replacement because I realized two of the ones I originally used were made by someone who requests that others not repost them.)

[linwelinwrites]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I found this on my dashboard and even though no one tagged me I want to join in!

Disclaimer: I write a lot of adult content, and though there is a warning on AO3 if you click the link and it's appropriately tagged and warned, I'll say it again: every fic linked with an (Explicit) tag beside it, is intended only for adults. Do not read or interact if you're a minor.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22 as of today! A lot of those are drabbles and ficlets, but I do have a few longer pieces. I have so many more I'm working on though!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

106.505 words 😄

3. What fandoms do you write for?

My main fandom is Harry Potter. I write a little bit for Twilight too and I've just started working on some Haikyuu! fics because of a recent fixation with the series 😅 I can't get enough of it!

I also have plans to write for My Hero Academia (I've posted a few drabbles, but nothing substantial), which I believe will start occupying more real estate on my brain as soon as I watch season 7 😬

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

The Deal, The Honeymoon & Beyond (Explicit) Twilight, canon compliant, basically fixing some fade-to-black scenes. Every day I'm surprised my oldest fic still hangs in at n°1, but there it is!

Pure fucking ambrosia (Explicit) Twilight, no pregnancy AU, a complete fever dream and slightly cursed—I blame the r/Fanfiction Discord and Jadzia specifically for this sinnery. I'm glad this one found its crowd.

Acquiescence to Inevitability (Explicit) Harry Potter, a Dramione one-shot inspired by another fic. No War AU, Hogwarts Seventh Year, very little plot but a lot of fun.

A Grave Mistake (Teen) Haikyuu, a cute KageHina one-shot about Halloween. Pure domestic fluff, Shoyo being adorable and Tobio being weak af for him

Memories, Not Dreams (Teen) Harry Potter, a short & sweet Harmony ficlet. Canon Divergent at Deathly Hallows. You guessed it, it's during their time in the tent 😅

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Every single one of them, as soon as I can! Comments are the highlight of my day, I call them the fuel for the writing furnace. They mean someone took time out of their day to let me know what they thought of my fic. That means the world to me 💜

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh, that's an easy one. Just for tonight (Explicit) has two endings (a choose-your-own-adventure sort of fic), but one of those is the angstiest shit I've ever written. I love it!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That's got to be Man of Honour (Teen). Though it's a prequel to a bigger project I'm working on, as a standalone it's got the fluffiest, most HEA ending I've written.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Fortunately no, not even with the spiciest/weirdest fics I've posted, which I'm very thankful for. I'm a strong defender of "don't like, don't read," which I apply for my own reading. The little 'x' button is the only dislike button I need, and I'm glad whoever read and disliked my stuff (which I'm sure has happened) didn't bother to let me know.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I mostly like fluffy smut, though I have a thing for characters who are desperate, particularly if they view the moment as their only or last opportunity to experience intimacy with that person. I love writing service tops + overstimulation, which is a really nice combo; and D/s dynamics, because of the trust they imply and the fireworks they can bring to the fun.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't yet, but there's a plot bunny in my bunny hutch waiting for me that would be a crazy one indeed 👀 I don't have the details fine tuned yet, but I do know it would involve Knives Out and Spy x Family, for one. That sounds crazy to me 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of, and I don't think so. I don't have that kind of traffic 😂

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

I got a request recently for a translation to Vietnamese, but I don't know if it's been done yet.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 

Nope! I don't know how that would work, but I'm curious. It could be fun!

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? 

It's so hard to pick just one, holy shit. But I suppose it's the one that lives rent free in my head every fucking day, the one that got me writing a 50k outline and five spreadsheets and ten metric tonnes of research and is sitting at 45k words when I'm only 15 out of 150 scenes in (yes, 150, I will die writing this fic). I don't like the "official" ship name, so I just call them Symphony: Draco / Hermione / Harry.

I couldn't choose between Dramione, Harmony and Drarry, and I thought all of them worked perfectly together, but I believe that as a triad they are perfect.

I think they balance each other out perfectly, and I can't wait to write a Brandon Sanderson sized longfic about them 😂

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have some scenes I want to add to The Deal, The Honeymoon & Beyond (Explicit), other scenes that faded to black and I want to fill in, a few requests and other ideas, but it's the last thing on my list of priorities at the moment. I don't know if I'll never get to them, but it won't be soon for sure. I'm a lot more focused on other fandoms for now.

16. What are your writing strengths? 

I think I'm good at finding the perspective of the POV character and placing myself in their shoes, and I believe that results in a decently strong character voice. I'm very intentional in my word choice and my speech and thought patterns, so that every character sounds different and as true to themselves as possible. At least, that's what I think; I'd love to have someone else's opinion on this.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? 

I'm afraid my grammar structures aren't as varied as I'd like them to be, and though I put a lot of effort into it, I'm still somewhat concerned about writing in English, since it isn't my native language. I'm always second-guessing myself, wondering if what I'm writing means what I think it does, or if I'm mistakenly implying something else. That's the kind of thing I'd love to have a beta for.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? 

I mean, every fic is in "another language" for me 😂 But if this means adding dialogue in another language to an English fic, then I think it should be translated inline with html/css (workskin) formatting. There's nothing more annoying than having to scroll down or open another tab to see wtf something means, unless it's clearly implied or translated inside the fic itself.

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

Twilight!

I found out Midnight Sun existed during the pandemic, proceeded to fall down the rabbit hole and had a Twilight renaissance with an adult perspective. That's when the fade-to-black scenes annoyed me; as a teen, they didn't stand out to me, because I was a child. But now, with new (and filthy) eyes, I wanted more.

I looked up fanfiction online for the first time at the ripe old age of 24, read a brain-melting amount of it, and was still unsatisfied. Everything I read was just a little bit off what I wanted, so I thought I had to rectify the situation. And that's the story, folks!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? 

Of the ones I've posted, Man of Honour 💜 I think it's the one that anyone can read, it's fluffy and cute and (I hope) funny, and stars a great platonic friendship, some star-crossed romance in the background, and fake dating shenanigans, and I love it so, so much 💜 I put a lot of sweat and tears into the workskins and pinterest boards, so it's also quite pretty, if I do say so myself. I think it's my best work, I had a blast writing it, and I've gotten really positive feedback on it. I'm really happy with it.

I tag @gamingwithsydney! and anyone who sees this and wants to participate. Please ignore if you’ve already done this or don’t want to do it, that’s completely fine. 😊

[yuniex07]

but Welch made Tav dialogues choices based on pro ascension is all about seeing Astarion as sex object. That’s the problem. Welch already decided all Tavs who chose ascension see Astarion as sex object. Welch only talked about sex object regarding Ascended Astarion.

The way this writer tried to " teach " a lesson was pointless from the begining tbh. From the begining Astarion makes a lot of induendo to the Player character, offers, and pushes for the player to agree to have sex with him. His double meaning banter/aiding lines. EVERYTHING about the character is sexualised. It makes sense this person was only in charge late in the development of the game because the way your character react at that point of the story makes no sense!

Personally, my experience was this one:

Got interested in baldur's gate from tiktok videos, and some mentions of the game from my FC companions in FFXIV. OFC i got moslty non context thristy Astarion videos on tiktok and you know what? i was not interested in him at all . I was like, "why are people simping for him? he looks old, ugly, the guy with a beard looks better, but isnt my type either, might go for one of the girls first" (oh that poor past version of me would probably laught at my present version)

So i played the game without context, and not even liking Astarion's looks. I consider myself a pretty impartial person leaning towards what i consider fair and just, having no experience in DND, my character would be more like a neutral good character of sort? (tbh, i don't see the point of having aligments when the choices of a person will depend on soo many variables. The trolley dilema anyone? )

Anyway, i fell, HARD for this pixelated man, because of his charisma, his sassy comments and his attitude. As he was undercovering more about him, i was more and more facinated, I was struggling with his approval, because even tho i wanted to romance him, i was still making the choices that i considered right! (which people usually relate to being a good character) Long story short, he did proposed at the party and i was able to romance him. My character wanted to help everyone and she did. The game portraits the ritual as somehing that will realy improve his life with no downside for him(not talking about the cost here).

So when getting into the ritual, analizing all the information the game game me up to that point, not knowing what will happen after, and thinking on all the posibiliies of this decision. I could only conclude that 7000 spawns were too dangerous to be liberated, Astarion would be free from his master and from all the vampirism downsides, and he had wanted from the begining the power to take his own decisions and mistakes, own his life and his body. (the persuation check being only for Astarion and non of the other companions was interesting... i would not try to persuade him to do something he was asking for from the begining) He had the full support of my character. And i was happy after the ritual, he sounded confident and finally able to act without fear.

So when the long rest scene played i was put off by the dialog choices and TAV's expressions(they fixed them now but not during that time) my character seemed like trying to lecture him and put the blame of a decisison they BOTH agreed only on him(same from the companions like what?? i did it too you know?? why are they angry at him but not me?) then the "spicy" scene happened (it was a pleasant surprise for me i had no idea it was from this route so it proves once again that not everyone Ascends him just because you want to sexualize him) If you think about it, is not even THAT sexual when compared to other companions is pretty tamed.

In conclusion, that writer has some several issues that needs to be addresses and tried to use the game to try to feel better with themself or scape remorse from all the social opportunities they missed for not been able to socialize properly and idealize fiction over reality durning their younger years.

[dodger-chan]

20 Questions for fic writers:

Tagged by @cchapsticck

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

59, if you count the very old stuff I archived there. 39, if you only count the stuff I originally posted there.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

194,755

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Recently, it's been all Stranger Things. If I start writing other fandoms again, tumblr will be the first to know.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Their Wedding Night (cowritten with @sharpbutsoft )

Adventures in Housekeeping

The Opposite of Love

The House Dick

Her Double Life

All but The Opposite of Love are part of A Bliss Like This

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to. I used to not, but I've gotten into some nice conversations with other authors who responded to my comments, so I decided to try it. And I'm a very small author (don't let the word/ count fool you; I've been posting fic online since the late 90s) so there aren't that many comments to reply to.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably that sin, through which I run. Though it's told backwards, so it might depend on what you consider the ending.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Any fic in A Bliss Like This. It's a guaranteed happiness series.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Never on AO3.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I've written, but not published smut. I'm not good enough at it.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don't, really. Nothing wrong with crossovers, I'm just not usually inspired in that way.

I did work with a couple of friends once on a wild, universe hopping crossover that involved Sonic characters, Gundam Wing, Dragonball Z, The Old Man from Scene 24 (Holy Grail) and others with a friend that I think she posted somewhere. Probably fanfiction.net, but it was like 25 years ago (I am very old) and I'm a little scared of how awful it must have been so I'm not looking.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that anyone's mentioned to me.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not in the sense that we've blended our writing into a single story, but @sharpbutsoft and I built a 1920s AU together. Individual stories in A Bliss Like This are often hers or mine but they build off each other and all the major details are a joint endeavor.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

This is an impossible question.

I have noticed a preference for jock/nerd or similar such pairings. Where one half of the couple is "normal" or socially acceptable and the other half is very, very weird. But only when the relationship develops without either of them giving up that aspect of their personality. No makeovers!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

A Nancy POV fic tentatively called 'Three Truths and No Lies' that I started between the two volumes of season four. Because there were all these "fruity four" fics and I thought Nancy would likely try to fix or at least find closure in her relationship with Jonathan as soon as he got to Hawkins, leading to her feeling a little left out of the Eddie and Stobin closeness.

Also a third part of Coming Out with a Purpose, where Robin and Steve come out to Joyce to test her reaction and give her the opportunity to learn from the mistakes she makes with them so that she doesn't fuck up when Will finally comes out.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Limited POVs. I think I'm decent at character voices, too, but I'm less confident there.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Actually writing words down (what do you mean just thinking about the fic doesn't make it exist?). The urge to edit while I write. Spelling. Plots.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm not good enough at it to really do it, unless the character speaking is not supposed to be fluent.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

That I published online? Fushigi Yuugi, as I recall. Maybe Gundam Wing. But as a kid I used to write Real Ghostbusters fic for my parents (they wanted to encourage my creativity). Mostly fleshed out (no pun intended) back stories for the ghosts.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I'm still writing it. I'm gonna finish it, I swear.

Of what I've published, it's probably Her Double Life, because genderqueer drag queen Eddie of the 1920s is just so much fun. I have so many thoughts and feelings about her. So, so many.

No pressure tags for: @sharpbutsoft , @greenlikethesea, um, who else writes? If you do, and you want to answer these, please consider yourself tagged.

[theweekinarrowfic]

Completed Arrow Multichapters on AO3, December, 2022

NOTE: I’m now crossposting to https://theweekinarrowfic.dreamwidth.org. Need more Arrow in your life? Why not try one of the multchapter fanfics recently completed by our talented fic writers?

Olicity

I get the sweetest feeling (that this is the start of something new) by StarlightDreamer21 (Oliver/Felicity, 3/3, 2022-12-01) - Felicity Smoak just moved to Starling City to start her new job at Queen Consolidated. It doesn’t take her long though to learn that her best friend, Thea, is the sister of the CEO. She moved here for new opportunities and adventures, but will she also find new love from the CEO who doubles as a 5 star chef?

I Object! by mindramblings (Oliver/Felicity, 2/2, 2022-12-25) - Oliver and Felicity were high school sweethearts, but they were torn apart by the distance adulthood brought to their lives. Despite the hurt and pain that it brings, Felicity is determined to face her past years later. So, she returns to Starling City...just in time for Oliver and Laurel's wedding. Memories bring out an emotional confession.

Other Arrow Ships

Arrow: The Paths To Tomorrow by HRwriter897, Onyon23 (Sara/Oliver, 23/23, 2022-12-09) - After the Crisis of infinite earths event, everything you thought you knew was changed. With the help of the one called The Specter, two individuals from Oliver’s life are given the chance to fix many mistakes and rebuild the world to be better prepared for what comes ahead.

Batgirl Sucks Cock by Batman_Batgirl_XXX (TottPaula) (Barbara Gordon/various including Barbara/Oliver, 4/4, 2022-12-22) - Batgirl thinks creatively to earn extra money to help finance her crusade in Gotham. She utilizes her best skill to earn a few benefactors. So how much cock could Batgirl suck if Batgirl would suck cock? Enough to finance her mission in Gotham as needed. Easy peasy. What millionaire would deny her request? An Arrowverse/ Batverse crossover. If Batman gets to eat pussy, Batgirl gets to suck cock!

What if...? by coldtime2000 (Rip Hunter/Leonard Snart, Sara/Leonard Snart, 33/33, 2022-12-15) - What if...? Fic What if...Would Rip have been married to Snart and not Miranda? After watching his husband die at the hands of Vandalo Savage, Rip Hunter decides to assemble a team to kill Vandalo and save the man he loves. But what if one of his team members is his husband? Only...this version of his husband is not yet his husband.

You can't be serious?! by Victoria832 (Natasha Romanov/Skye | Daisy Johnson; Felicity listed as character, 9/9, 2022-12-24) - When Skye gets the message that a friend of hers passed away Natasha is there to comfort her, to the surprise of her own team. May is starting to grow suspicious of their behavior. And then the two women just leave, leaving the team of three agents short and with lots of questions. A lot of Skye/Natasha

Touch Like a Memory by moonbeam (Oasiis) (Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Oliver and Dinah Lance listed as characters, 8/8, 2022-12-16) - Dick Grayson, an unclaimed Omega living under the protection of Alpha Bruce Wayne, spends most of his nights as Nightwing, protecting the people of Gotham from numerous threats. His life is relatively simple considering he's yet to break through his first Heat. But his entire world shifts when Dick stumbles upon an Alpha fighting/breeding ring and locks eyes with the mysterious Alpha 'Red'. He's determined to save Red, even if he doesn't fully understand why the urge is so strong, and with his family at his back to help him, he's sure to succeed. However, Bruce Wayne has had his eye on Dick for years in the hope of becoming his bonded Alpha and he doesn't take kindly to anyone that gets in the way. Notes: Set in the Gotham Knights (2022) game universe. This is a standalone AU in the series so feel free to skip to the next one if it's not your thing! <3

Altering The Calm by Phillipe363 (Sara/Oliver, 3/3, 2022-12-18) - Instead of the Olicity driven episode we got and starting so many issues, what if events went differently? What if the show followed a path of Oliver and Sara focused? How does one tiny difference along with other stuff making sense like Oliver caring about QC, change things? Find out.

Waverider Down by legendsstan19 (Sara/Ava Sharpe, 2/2, 2022-12-01) - Summary: When an SOS call goes out to everyone on Prime Earth they are confused why it’s the waverider when all of the sudden the waverider comes crashing down. Read as they help each other get the legends out and figure out what happened.

Любовь под названием «АваЛенс» by Bernyce_Kiuberty (Sara/Ava Sharpe, 28/28, 2022-12-15) - Какой будет жизнь, после свадьбы Сары Ленс и Эвелин Шарп? Единственное, что все знают точно - она не будет спокойной.

Sorry if you can by Bernyce_Kiuberty (Alex Danvers/Sara, Sara/Ava Sharpe, 2/2, 2022-12-15) - Всё началось с драки и закончилось свадьбой. В этом вся я. Хотите узнать кто моя избранница?

playboy, playboy by kapiushonnn (Oliver/Slade, 2/2, 2022-12-15) - Oliver Queen era el playboy más peligroso. hasta que se fijó en Slade Wilson. o pequeño estudio de Oliver Queen y algún que otro carácter en cuánto amor y Slade Wilson.

It's a Super Xmas Tale by AllyBP (Kara Danvers/Oliver, 4/4, 2022-12-22) - This is my annual SuperArrow Xmas story the introduction of a new crackship I believe many people will enjoy. ave fun and happy holidays.

[quirrelli]

So, I finished Killing Eve S4 and I'm...

...just gonna pretend I do not see it. S3 wasn't amazing but its ending still works way better as the ending of the show than the actual ending, so I think I'll just be having that, thank you.

No, but seriously, how did they manage to have this much lesbian activity for four seasons and still end up with bury your gays lite?? Did literally no one in that writer's room have even a cursory look at tvtropes.com or talk to like one gay person??? Make no mistake, I was fully expecting one or both of them to die, especially since I was aware – without knowing any details �� of the finale's negative reception. There are always going to be people who hate an ending and by extension the whole show simply because it killed off their favorite character, irrespective of context or execution. I am not one of those people, so I want to be crystal clear here when I say there were ways to make a tragic ending work for Killing Eve, a few fairly obvious ones even, and so I thought surely there was no way they would fall into that specific trap again.

The most generous interpretation of this (non-)ending I can come up with is to apply Hanlon's razor, in which case it might be be seen as a symptom of the general loss of focus the series suffered beginning with S3 and exponentially more so in S4. By which I mean they let the emotional core (the V/E dynamic) diverge wildly from the plot (finding the 12).

Never lose sight of the emotional core. I find you can get away with almost anything; technical faults, dodgy performances, plot holes (especially plot holes), even a meh ending, as long as the emotional core stays exactly where its name says it should stay.

Helene is an easy means of illustration for this point. Helene in S4 is basically less chaotic Villanelle, both in her function to the plot (murderous fancy bitch whomst is important as the key to a bigger bad) and in her relationship with Eve (gay, aggressive, lethally hot), which makes me wonder why they didn't just let Villanelle play that part??? It's driving me mad bc it's the most obvious thing and would have fixed so many problems in an instant.

By which I don't mean get rid of Helene btw, just make better use of her, as an actual member and face of the 12 or a double agent or sth. Give V the quest to hunt down the 12, it's already perfectly aligned with her motivations and capabilities at the end of S3! I mean she wants to impress Eve by showing her she's trying to be better and to start a new life, right? Cool, ok, therefore, in Villanelle's moderately disturbed mind it makes perfect sense to do this by violently hunting down a bunch of bad ppl ~ for Eve ~ . (The fact that she's also high key horny for murder is just a bonus, don't worry about it, baby.) If not that, then do sth else entirely with her, do the church thing (properly this time, not squeezed into two episodes and then entirely forgotten) but don't give hunting down the 12 to Helene, a character that already feels vaguely like a replacement for Villanelle while she's off doing character growth or whatever.

If they had done the thing that makes sense, it would have also meant that for once V and E's goals would have aligned, (though they might not have realized it immediately, you know, for spice,) which would have given us an opportunity to delve into a new dynamic: Partners in crime. Not S2 V tenuously working for E bc horny but actual challenging "we want the same thing except oh no, all this history and unresolved tension" cooperation. Obviously it would have gone horribly wrong in some fashion (I'm thinking Carolyn shenanigans), but at least it would have gone wrong for a reason that actually involved them bc the plot would have actually been their plot again. Incidentally, if you're going to have them hook up, this would be a great time for that, so it doesn't feel quite so backhanded if/when one/both die at the end.

The only reason I can imagine for not going down this route is that it would be too obvious, to which I can only say: [Insert tired comparison to Game of Thrones here.]

Seriously, hunting down the 12 is a natural conclusion to the story. It makes sense, was built to from the beginning and should have been a slam dunk in terms of plotting. Thus I am flummoxed as to how the writers managed to drop the ball so spectacularly that it hit every single one of their teammates square in the tits.

Well, I say that, the show does maintain a few of its strengths, first and foremost the cast of course, consequently some of the dialogue (Carolyn and V's interactions are delightful) and I do like the idea of both Gunn and Pam and also V getting shot by an arrow. Just wish the cupid/angel motif hadn't been so muddled and included Gunn more (who shouldn't have been called Gunn. It's a bad joke.)

Speaking of, many have rightly decried the lackluster supporting cast but as I see it, that is largely a holdover from S3, which killed off/wrote out basically everyone but the core four and failed to introduce any new characters that stayed past the season finale (besides Helene) bc it was too busy not moving the plot forward. You gotta have side characters in your show, so they made some new ones for S4 and gathered together whatever scraps they could (Hugo prettyboy and Martin the therapist). Idk if there was a good way to solve this problem exactly, but they could have certainly woven the new lot into the story better. Especially Pam. Pam could have been so much more. Oh and fuck the way they wrapped up Irina's story too. Complete waste.

With bad plotting comes shitty pacing. Again, that already started in S3. However, I will say in defense of S3 that it being a bit slower and introspective is very much the sort of thing that could have felt kinda ok, even needed in retrospect, if S4 had Risky Businessed into the room champagne in one hand, gun in the other, ready to party. Instead it made S3 look worse by turning it into a prelude to an even more plodding experience, now with bad editing!

For real, there's some really poorly constructed scenes; shots that feel disjointed, unfocused, repetitive. No idea what that's about, could it be the lingering effects of Covid-restrictions? Or maybe they just needed a better editor. Regardless, while not super dire it is absolutely noticeable and contributes to the general lack of cohesion, not to mention the tonal dissonance.

What am I saying, that's an excellent thing to mention. An ideal candidate to put the show and this too long note on my phone out of its misery in fact.

Killing Eve is supposed to be fun, you guys, remember that? S1 was at all times like two smash cuts away from becoming a full on comedy and it was amazing for that. It was the show's most unique feature, what took it from very good to transcendent as far as I'm concerned. Walking that line is hard, no doubt about it, and I get that different show runners have different visions and of course you can take on a more serious tone between seasons but then you actually need to make everything else match that shift. Integrate the absurdity into your writing or discard it, the way I've discarded the idea of ever writing a proper conclusion for anything. If you really want a dramatic, played entirely straight spy thriller conclusion with conspiracies upon conspiracies and doomed passions, that's fine. I mean, it’s not really bc you're losing what made Killing Eve great et cetera and so forth but my point is that you can't have your imaginary drag king Jesus and eat him too.

tl;dr: S4 is bad. There are several reasons for this.

[yanderelovlies]

✨Galaxy Anon ✨ here!

*sees requests are open and slams hand down* Vivi! I want a order of that one prompt that I made that time of reader in love with Joseph and Joseph dates them only for reader to find out Joseph only done it for peer pressure, reader saves him and dies, reader recarnted and Jack appears through tape and tries to win reader love but reader knows it’s Joseph and refuses. Optional if Jack finds out later or when they meet reader again immediately if he finds out reader old identity years from years ago when he was Joseph. Angst and Fluff endings included. * fixes table* sorry for the rash action it’s just a rare opportunity for me. But take your time on this one I know it’s a long one. That’s also why you don’t have ten requests from me right now lol.

Vivi don’t make me cry! You’re gonna make me cry waterfalls!

Yeah I felt the same, I felt there was something maybe it lacked but nothing to that degree that it had a fucking hashtag. I hope so too and we gotta respect sauce decision not to go after those people since they don’t want that and wants to leave it behind.

Pfft that would’ve scared me since unless they looked and acted so good and sweet I wouldn’t ask since I be petrified to seem stupid.

Makes sense, old habits die hard and I’m living proof of that. Happy to make your goal achieved!

I felt more it was like I couldn’t talk to my mom about it and I was very naive so I wondered what happens on social media and I got into my first serious phase fandom that time and wanted to talk to people about it. Yeah I made some mistakes and glad they never truly bit me in the butt to this day though it could’ve have easily been otherwise. Same we both swimming in our tanks, with horrible memory that fails us.

Oh yeah, I heard of those friendships. They sound bad and unfortunately knowing how long you been friends for until breaking it off yeah I can see why it take a toll on you. Yeah I’m glad you rejected it though you need to stay away if they’re affecting you that badly. I can feel you on friend trouble just I was the expendable one. It felt more like I was an outsider looking into a group of friends rather than my own. It really affected me later in life and why I was so scared and even clingy to people I made friends with online since I was scared to be forgotten. Vivi you’re making me blush awww!

Galaxy my love you can send as many as you would like I don't mind 💕 I'm having a bit of writer's block, and seeing everyone's prompts really help me 💕

Would you like some hugs?? I love giving hugs 💜.

IT HAD A HASHTAG?! THE FUCK?? I don't like that at all. Aaahhh poor Sauce! Criticism is one thing, but to make a hashing??

She was one of that cool teachers who was strict when she needed to be, but most times she didn't care as long as your work was done.

Oh trust me too. 💕💕

Young me took advantage of the that I didn't have parents around. Along with my older siblings being bad influences. I saw things a child shouldn't have, and other unfun things. It never bit me too hard, but it did leave an impact. Also it's a good thing we have a spacious bowl! .....I think.

I know that feeling too well. When we got out of high school we had plans to move in together, but thanks to bad decisions I had difficulties getting a job to help pay for it. So without talking to me they got the apartment,and moved one of their brothers into my place. After that it never felt like I was their friend anymore. I was just watching them have fun. I have to remind myself that people don't wanna talk to me 24/7. I haven't balanced it out yet but I'm getting there. Being forgotten is my second biggest fear. It gives me panic attacks.

I'm only telling the truth 💕

[sassypotatoe1]

So today I got a verbal warning because of how I've been messing up a lot lately, and because I'm like capital s Struggling™ and don't know how the next few months will go after I get my meds adjusted tomorrow, I've been fantasizing of different career paths that isn't journalism because how things are looking now, I might not have a space in this industry for very long because of my health and disability status, and not in a discriminatory way either like just genuinely I can't maintain this job long term based on trends over the last two years, even when I'm managing my health perfectly.

I'm not going to be stupid and just quit and give up, it was a verbal warning and my boss and her boss are incredibly understanding and supportive people, but I no longer see a future for myself in this industry because of the way that it is structured, and I don't have the energy or ability to enact reform on a large scale.

So I will continue to work for this job until I physically can't anymore, or get fired because I messed up too many times, and in the meantime I'll explore other options. As side jobs I can bake, which means I can sell to home industry stores and make some money. I can garden if I have the time, so I can sell excess vegetables and propogate house plants and sell them to the local grocery store. I can make clothes, so I can tailor and mend. I can both make art and teach it, so I can do art classes and commissions. I am still a writer, so I can pursue a career as a fiction author, and maybe even as a non-fiction author if the inspiration strikes.

If I'm doing really bad and get fired and the side jobs don't work out, I can work as a waitress or secretary while I work on my books and art, and I can keep working while they are reviewed by publishers until they are approved for publishing and I start making a large enough income off sales.

I have options, and it's incredibly sad that I might have to leave journalism behind, but I have to consider the sustainability of a career in journalism, and based on the last few months it's really low. I love the job for the most part. I have a unique opportunity to support and uplift my community through my journalism, and I get to meet and know so many interesting people, but if it's going to come at the cost of my health and with the constant panic and fighting over mistakes that happened because of my disabilities and health issues, that to me is not a big deal but to everyone else seems to be the end of the world, I don't know if I even want to keep doing it.

I had dreams of becoming a press ombudsman one day, but now I see that the industry cares more about the bottom line and keeping readers happy than actually doing any sort of good, and it's not a flexible industry with room for mistakes, and I'm becoming decently disillusioned. I have other ways that I can make a difference, I don't need to be a journalist to help my community or inspire people or provide information that empowers. I can do private citizen journalism if it gets down to it and I feel like taking it up again, but the way I'm feeling about it right now it might be a long time before I touch the industry again if I quit or get fired.

And again, I'm not going to be stupid and hand in my notice now, it's a fixed job with an admittedly terrible but secure income, and I'd be going from employed but horribly depressed and unhealthy to unemployed with no guaranteed income if I do, so I'd rather work on side projects while I keep trying to do this job and quit when those projects prove fruitful.

There's also a strong possibility that adjusting my medication will make me functional again and I'll be back to not wanting to kill myself every time a reader gets pissed and calls me unprofessional because I got the time keeper at a race wrong, and I won't be as forgetful and dysfunctional to get it wrong in the first place, but I do feel I have to at least consider other possibilities and options.

And I'm writing this half to organize my own thoughts about this whole situation, and half to let others know that there are always options. If you're struggling, there are other things you can do if something doesn't work out. It's not necessarily the best course of action to give up on one thing without a guaranteed fallback, but if it gets down to it you can do something else. Passions change, dreams change, your needs change and so do your abilities. There is no shame in giving up one thing, as long as you don't stay down and give up on everything forever. You have options.

[bangfantanfic]

Bring The Fire: character intro

Warnings: Mentions of blood, theft, mutilation and violence. 

Princes; Hoseok & Yoongi

others; PJM&KTY // KNJ // KSJ // JJK 

chapter one

“I didn’t realise our standards seemed so low, Hyung.��� The younger prince frowned playfully, making the elder roll his eyes. 

“I told you, if you want it done right do it yourself.” The scarred boy reminded, his feline shaped eyes narrowed at the well dressed man ahead. 

The two perfectionists stood with arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Despite their high status, the brothers had worked hard to get what they wanted. They could have easily ridden on their fathers coat tail and got what they wanted, but they had decided they wanted to be praised for actually doing well. 

And yet, here they were losing all their glory to a stable boy. 

“I didn’t think he had the guts to go against us.” Hoseok admitted, fascination coating his words. 

They had struck up a deal with the young boy, but it wasn’t going the way they had wanted it to. Not only did the boy mess up and change their work, but he took all the credit. The peasant couldn’t even read, how in God’s name was he writing poetry? 

“This was all your idea.” Yoongi sighed, licking his lips as he watched the peasant lap up the attention. “You fix it.” 

The younger sighed dramatically, but agreed. He was younger after all, he didn’t get to deny his elders. Besides, it was true. This was his mistake, he should be the one to take care of it. 

Besides, he knew his brother would be there helping him. The marred boy could never turn down the opportunity of violence. 

“You did well, stable boy.” Hoseok praised, a warm smile on his lips. 

The young boy shrank back, his malnourished body quivering. “T-thank you Sir.” 

Hoseok nodded, leaning against the wooden posts.The stables was one of his favourite places to go, once he could get past the smell of shit.

 He waved his fingers, silently telling the boy to go back to his job. He quickly obeyed, the teen rushing to clean out one of the many horse stalls. 

“A shame you didn’t mention anything about the writers.” The prince sighed, playing with the ends of his long dark hair. “You’re very lucky I’m far more lenient than my brother.” 

The boy turned, eyes wide. He attempted to spit out an excuse but his tongue betrayed him. Instead his head dropped in shame. 

“But unfortunately, not lucky enough.” Hoseok continued, pushing off the wall and sauntering over to the short boy. “My older brother saw it all.” He admitted, tsking. 

The stable boy wheezed, seeming to have lost the ability to breathe as he dropped to his knees. His back crumbled over, laying in a bowing position as apologises spewed past his dirty lips. 

Hoseok rolled his dark eyes, glancing over his shoulder with a grin. “Oh dear boy, it’s far too late for that now.” 

Yoongi traipsed into the stables, a disgusted look painting over his usual disinterested expression. The shorter brother rarely ventured to the stables, or outside at that. He rathered the comfort of his room and bed. 

Hoseok glanced at his brother, quirking an eyebrow at the small blade in his pale hand. The elder shrugged, holding the handle out. 

“I want his tongue.” 

[bluiex]

Well if you want angst I can give you angst, as I am a chronic writer of hurt/no comfort I will never post.

Scar and Grian never recovered from double life, members of Hermitcraft were always used to their joking dynamic and frankly healthy relationship. No matter how many pranks Grian pulled or how many times Scar got them both killed, everyone around the duo would always know their relationship could never so much as be touched. Ever since the trust they built from the ground up in third life was formed everything between them seemed perfect. The couple even building their bases next to each other in every season, always around each other in general. Hermitcraft members joking in chat whenever they’d accidentally catch Grian and Scar sharing a romantic moment together thinking nobody was around.

Yet despite all of this, everyone watched it crash and burn after the two returned from double life. BigB and Grian’s little relationship had effectively shattered everything Scar had. He had thought everything was perfect, but the first night he caught Bigb and Grian in the games he could only find himself thinking through every mistake he possibly could have made to lead to this moment. Not once did he think that Grian was possibly in the wrong. Maybe Scar died one too many times, said the wrong thing and got on Grian’s last nerve, maybe he was too clueless and Grian got fed up. So many possibilities and yet it took finding Grian looking at BigB like he was the last person in the world to realize- maybe Grian did something wrong. Maybe Scar loved too hard and it finally caught up. Maybe Grian dove head first into an untruthful love burning their relationship, and left Scar behind with the ashes. It hurt and Scar had no goddamn idea what to do, it’s not like he could avoid his literal soulmate in a death game.

The second they got back to Hermitcraft though? Scar had the time to be spiteful. When he wasn’t fighting for his life and the man he loved at every turn, he had time to seethe and think and feel so many emotions he thought he’d never have to experience in a relationship with Grian. Grian realized a mistake too late when at every opportunity Scar was dodging every interaction possible with him. The man who he formerly would wake up next to every morning was instead doing project after project just to avoid him. Scar never dumped him directly, but Grian decided he didn’t need to verbalize it. Mumbo wouldn’t even comfort the avian, he knew he fucked up just as much as Grian did. And Mumbo wasn’t about to comfort a cheater, as much as he cared for Grian he knows there was nothing left to fix. All trust formed had shattered and they both knew Grian caused it. There wasn’t any laughter after a stupid prank or kisses of apology after Scar led them into an accidental death. Grian had realized after enough glares from practically everybody on the server, and enough nights in his cold and strangely empty bed that, well, there was nothing left for him to fix. -🎻

Im.. im not crying theres just somthing in my eyes *sobbing* breaking my heart in such a good way.. I love it sm. just Grian being so in the wrong and regretting every second of it. Scar getting to be sad, getting to be angry and upset about it. And everyone having his back for it. and Grian this time can't fix it, because he knows what he did was awful. So he isolates himself, for a long time, no one sees him. and when they finally do he is a fucking wreck. But people cant find it in themselves to care as muc has they should.. sure they're like you ok? and all that but don't offer help

[ejzah]

Can you write something about Deeks running into Whiting at the boatshed after she talks to Rountree? Opportunity missed by the writers.

A/N: Once again, this is long overdue. And yes, it seems strange that Whiting was brought back without ever interacting with Deeks. This takes place during episode 13x15, Perception.

***

Integrity

“Detective Whiting,” Deeks drawled, strolling into the boat shed where Ellen Whiting stood, one arm crossed over her chest, as she typed on her phone with the other.

He’d been surprised to hear that she was IA’s pick to represent the cops who stopped, cuffed, and pepper sprayed Rountree given her reputation. Though he knew you didn’t often get a choice as a public servant.

She glanced up, mouth morphing into a sarcastic smile. “Deeks. When they told me an agent would be escorting me out, I didn’t think they’d send you,” she said, sliding her phone into her pocket. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. But, uh, it’s investigator, not agent.”

“Still an upgrade, right?” She shrugged.

“I suppose it is,” Deeks agreed with a soft chuckle. “So, you been keeping busy? Hunting down LAPD’s worst offenders?”

“It’s been kind of slow lately, but I could always bring you in for questioning, Deeks,” she said fake smile. “You know, for old time’s sake.”

Deeks drew a sharp between his teeth. “Yeah, as much as I enjoyed our…special talk, I’m gonna have to pass on that one. Besides, I imagine this case is going to take up all your toke for a while.”

Whiting grimaced at that, looking uncharacteristically ill at ease, tucking her already neat hair behind her ear.

“Hopefully not,” she said. “IA wants this dealt with quickly and as painlessly as possible.”

Now that did not sound good. How many times had his superiors swept Boyle and Steadman’s crimes under the rug? Rocking his weight onto one foot, Deeks faced Whiting seriously.

“You know, I saw Agent Rountree on my way in here. He wouldn’t say what you guys discussed, but he didn’t look very happy,” Deeks told her, examining her face for any tells.

“I asked him to meet with the officers in question and he refused,” she explained in a neutral tone.

“You asked him to talk to them during an open investigation?” Deeks shook his head. “Ellen, you know that’s blurring the line.”

“They made a mistake and you should know better than anyone what that’s like.” She gave Deeks a pointed look, perhaps expecting him to immediately shy away from the topic. “You were given a second chance and so do these men.”

“You’re right, I did make a mistake, but this is clearly different. Even if there was no malicious intent, these guys can’t just go around pulling over innocent people and treating them the way they did Rountree,” he insisted and she lifted her chin, unrelenting.

“Don’t you think that’s a little hypocritical?” Whiting asked, challenging him. Deeks just nodded.

“Maybe.” He let his agreement hang in the air. “But the Ellen Whiting I know would never take the easy or safe route. I know you to be someone who asks the hard questions and searches for the truth. You have integrity,” Deeks said softly. Whiting jerked slightly, eyes widening in surprise.

“Those are pretty flattering words,” she murmured. It was strange to see her anything less than caustic and uncompromising, but he didn’t back down.

“I mean it. Don’t let it change,” he urged her. “Keep that integrity and need for justice.”

Whiting looked down for a minute, then to Deeks surprise, she chuckled, she sound a little sardonic.

“Damn, I’m glad I never had to go up against you in court.” She nodded towards the door. “C’mon, I have some apologizing to do.”

***

A/N: I hope this was something like what you were looking for. I didn’t want to have Deeks run in as the hero to fix everything, but I feel like despite their tumultuous interactions, Whiting does trust and respect Deeks, just as he has some respect for her.

Thanks for the prompt!