#think of all the ideas that could become fics

[daxisyzz]

Hey there! Love your work and would love to submit a request if that’s alright. I have an idea for a Bucky x reader one shot inspired by his look in Thunderbolts. I love his longer hair coming back, but imagine Bucky having the reader put in hair extensions in his hair so he can have really long hair again instead of waiting for it to grow out? If this idea inspires you to write then I’m so glad but if not don’t feel pressured to write anything. Hope you’re well! :)

heyyy I love this idea!! Sorry for replying late. Here's your little fic. Hope you have a great day<3

Hair Me Out…

Summary: Bucky didn't think he'd miss his long hair — until he sees you casually ordering hair extensions for yourself. Now he needs them too... and you're the poor soul tasked with making it happen. Along the way, he finds a small part of himself that he'd forgotten he still loved.

Word count: 1.1k+

Setting: pre-thunderbolts*, post-tfatws.

Bucky wasn’t even trying to snoop.

Really, he wasn’t.

He was lying across your bed, big and lazy, arms folded behind his head as he listened to you tap away at your laptop, a content little hum coming from your side of the room. Every so often, you’d mutter to yourself or click your tongue in frustration, but otherwise, you were blissfully unaware of his not-so-subtle staring.

“What’re you doing?” he finally asked, lifting his head to look at you.

“Shopping,” you said, clicking a few more times. “Hair stuff. Some skincare junk. You know essentials.”

He hummed, about to close his eyes again, when something bright and silky caught his eye.

You were browsing a site that sold hair extensions — gorgeous, long, flowing locks in every shade imaginable.

Bucky blinked, sitting up a little straighter.

“Wait. Is that for you?” he asked, sounding more interested than he probably should’ve.

You nodded. “Yeah. I wanna try longer hair without committing to, like, years of growing it out.”

He kept staring. At the screen. At you. At the screen again.

Something deep inside him — something he thought he’d buried — stirred.

His own hand went to the ends of his current hair, brushing it lightly. It had been growing out again after a few trims and missions that had demanded ‘uniform standards.’ It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t short.

But it wasn’t his long hair, either.

He missed it.

Missed the way it used to fall in his face, missed the wildness of it, the way it made him feel a little less... polished. Less fake. More himself. More of someone he'd become after losing everything.

“...Can you get me some, too?” he blurted, before he could think better of it.

You paused, hands frozen over your keyboard. “...What?”

He scooted closer, earnestness written all over his stupidly handsome face. “Extensions. Get some for me.”

You turned to stare at him fully, one eyebrow raised. “Bucky. Babe. Love of my life. You are a literal enhanced super soldier and you’re telling me you can’t wait for your hair to grow?”

He pouted actually pouted and tugged lightly at the ends of his hair. “But you’re gonna have long hair and I’m gonna look like a half-baked chia pet.”

You snorted so hard it startled him.

“A chia pet?” you repeated, wheezing.

“A sad one,” he said gravely. “One that needs love.”

You were half-crying, half-laughing now, clutching your stomach. “You’re so dramatic.”

“I’m serious,” he said, grabbing your hands in both of his big ones, squeezing them like he was proposing marriage. “Doll. I’ll do anything. Just order some for me, too.”

"You'll do anything?" you teased, still wiping tears from your eyes.

"I'll be your personal assistant for a week. I'll clean the kitchen. I'll even let you pick the next five movies we watch. Even if they suck."

You shook your head, grinning like a fool. "Alright, alright, I'll do it. Only because you look so cute."

Bucky whooped and immediately pulled you into his lap, hugging you tight enough to make you squeak. "You're the best. Seriously. I'm gonna look so good."

"You’re gonna look like a prince," you said dryly.

"Prepare to have Sam roast you into oblivion."

"I don’t even care," Bucky said, burying his face in your shoulder. "I want my hair back."

Few Days Later

Bucky was sitting on the floor in front of you, legs crossed, a towel thrown around his shoulders like a cape. You carefully parted his hair, sectioning it and clipping in the silky extensions you had color-matched for him.

He was so still, so obedient, it made you grin.

"You’re a good client," you teased.

"Yeah, well," he said, glancing at you over his shoulder with a smirk. "I gotta be. My stylist’s got very delicate hands."

You rolled your eyes fondly and snapped another clip into place.

As you worked, you caught him sneaking peeks at himself in the mirror watching the longer pieces blend into his real hair and his smile was so genuine, so open, it almost hurt.

By the time you finished, Bucky looked like he'd stepped straight out of 2014 — but softer, happier.

You admired him from a few steps back, a fond warmth blooming in your chest. "You look perfect, Buck."

He preened a little, flipping a lock of hair over his shoulder. "Damn right."

Just then, the door creaked open.

Sam stuck his head in, mouth already open to say something — and froze.

The look of pure, stunned silence on Sam's face was priceless.

You bit your lip hard to hold back a laugh.

"...No," Sam finally said, deadpan. "No. Absolutely not."

Bucky grinned, pure menace. "Hey, bird boy. You like the new look?"

Sam just shook his head slowly. "You look like a dude who lives in a cave and plays the flute for forest animals."

Bucky tossed his newly long hair dramatically. "Jealousy’s an ugly color on you, Wilson."

"I'm sending this to Torres," Sam said immediately, pulling out his phone.

"Traitor!" Bucky shouted, lunging for him.

You laughed so hard you had to sit down, watching Bucky chase Sam down the hall, towel flying like a cape behind him, hair streaming.

After the chaos died down, you found Bucky sitting in front of the bedroom mirror again, just quietly looking at himself.

Not in the playful way from earlier.

Softer. Sadder.

But not bad.

You walked over slowly and wrapped your arms around him from behind, resting your chin on his shoulder.

He smiled faintly at your reflection.

"You okay, Buck?"

He nodded, his hand coming up to tangle lightly with yours.

"Just... stupid," he said quietly. "Looking at myself like this."

"Not stupid," you murmured.

He shrugged a little. "It reminds me of... when I wasn’t doing so good. Long hair, no plan, no peace. I hated that version of me for a long time."

You pressed a kiss to his temple, squeezing him tighter. "He was doing the best he could. He survived. And he deserved love, too."

Bucky’s shoulders relaxed under your hands, the tension easing out of him slowly.

He met your eyes in the mirror and the look he gave you was pure devotion.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Maybe he did."

You leaned your forehead against his. "Definitely did. Definitely does."

For a moment, you both just stayed there him, you, the soft lamp light, the long, wild hair breathing together, existing without judgment.

And when Bucky finally smiled, really smiled

it was brighter than any version of himself he'd ever worn.

[starweaversguidetothehazbinhotel]



Is it just me or is anyone else bothered by how most Alastor Mpreg fics are written?

Seriously, whether you prefer reading trans-Alastor, (or my personal favorite) Cis-male unwittingly forced to endure the “miracle” of childbirth, too many fics forget that Al died in the 30’s.

The negative effects of smoking and alcohol didn’t become public knowledge until the 1960’s and 70’s.

I need Alastor, begrudgingly pregnant, throwing a hissy fit because Charlie tries switching his coffee to decaf.

I need to see Hüsker risking his neck and refusing to serve (a very hormonal ) Alastor any drinks.

I need to see Angel Dust -the drug addict- calmly explaining to Al that he doesn’t need a stash of opium on-hand for the baby after it’s born. They have better, safer medications for infants now.

I need Vaggie freaking out when Alastor cannibalizes anyone in protection of the hotel. Raw meat is dangerous and lone sharks are practically sushi!

On that note, I need Rosie lovingly fattening him up and giving him all the support and outdated parenting books he could possibly hope for.

I want to see Alastor go to the effort to ensure that his child has everything it could possibly need. Only to be confused by everyone’s judgment when he installs a baby cage into one of his radio tower windows. Unsafe? They act like it’s his first day in Hell! He’s already warded it against stray bullets and Vox-tec drones.

I wanna see him have a breakdown because he’s not preparedfor parenthood, and nothing he does seems to be right. That the staff, well meaning, start crossing boundaries. Making his panic worsen to the point he ends up hiding himself away for days.

I want Lucifer to be the most understanding person in the hotel. Out of all of them, he’s the only one that’s ever been pregnant before and he gets that it’s a bitch. I want him to soften because as much fun as it is tormenting Alastor- he remembers what it was like.

I want him to help Al combat the Victorian mindset that “A held baby is a spoiled baby”

I want him to show Alastor the novel advancements in baby care while making it clear that these are merely options that are available… Alastor doesn’t have to use any of it and it will not be a lesser parent if he chooses not to. (Think of items such as baby monitors, rubber nipples and disposable diapers)

Because Lucifer presents these things as suggestions, Alastor takes it all in-stride, accepting the gifts with humor. “No need to add nappies to the laundry pile!”

In their time together I want Lucifer to discover that Alastor knows how to knit and embroider. I want them to sit together in the evenings crafting clothes and things for the nursery. (Bonus points if the child turns out to be Lucifer’s)

Of course, other things can be going on in the plot. War with Heaven. Dealing with the Sins. Stalking from the Vees. Alastor’s Deal TM. But we as a entire fandom are severely under utilizing a literal treasure trove of plot bunnies.

————

I’ve added some fun links for anyone who wants to further play with this idea.

[quietplace26]

Notes: Since this was requested quite a bit, and I'm feeling up to it, I decided to do a part two of that angst Furina!MC x Zhongli fic of mine. The original post is HERE.

Sorry if its sloppy or too short, but at least it's something. 😥

Also, thanks again to @arn9tails and for @platinumrosetail for helping me think of ideas.

Warnings: OCness, cringe, yandere elements.

Of course, Neuvillette would probably be angry to see that FAKE ex-Hydro usurper before him. Like how dare she show her face before his after everything.

He's so mad that he doesn't even notice her baby bump, or her flinching in utter fear at the sight of him as he stomps over, only to truly notice when she screams for "ZHONGLI!!", and the usurper of GEO, comes rushing over, and tackles Neuvillette away.

Snarls and roars fill the streets as both dragons wrestled on the ground, only for Zhongli to come out as the winner, pinning a still confused and equally angry Hydro Sovereign to the ground.

"Stay away from my mate and child, Hydro Sovereign!"

It's only with those words does the anger that blinded Neuvillette clears, letting him see Furina!MC truly for the first time.

She was huddled away, crying, staring at him in complete, utter terror as she held her belly, protectively hiding her baby bump.

Like she thought he was going to rip her child from her womb.

As Deus Auri stands and rushes over to his crying mate, Neuvillette stays on the ground, staring at the former Hydro Archon in an almost childlike confusion.

From the way she timidly held herself, to the way she spoke, and even to the way she wailed into the Geo Usurper's chest, there was no sign of the bratty, selfish Goddess he was stuck with for 500 years...

Ending 1. Neutral ending.

Neuvillette leaves Furina!MC be in Liyue.

She's not doing anything wrong.

She's just... living. She has a life, a family.

There was no reason for him to stick his nose where it doesn't belong.

Ending 2. Bad ending.

Neuvillette becomes consumed with thoughts about Furina!MC.

Seeing her happy and free in Liyue, smiling a smile that doesn't match any of the haughty, sly ones he recalls in his memories, did things to him.

He watches her, studies her while in Liyue.

And it only makes the obsession grow as he sees a side of her that he's never seen... Or maybe he just never bothered to look deeper.

Gentle, soft-spoken, a love of knitting toys for children, and so much more.

And a happy mother to be as well. He sees how she cradles her bump, humming soft tunes as she rubs the small bump, clearly in love with her child already.

All the while the father of the babe was always by her side, smiling as well.

Deus Auri. Morax. Rex Lapis. The so-called God of Contracts, and most of all, the Geo Usurper.

This disgrace of a dragon was Furina!MC's mate? The father of her child? How disgraceful! And he dared to give her a GEO vision?! How dare he-

Neuvillette's thoughts only go downhill from there as in the last days of his trip to Liyue, he tries to talk to Furina!MC.

It was an awkward, tense filled conversation, but he now had HER view on things... Including Focalors' treatment of her.

And when he asks her to return to Fontaine with him so he could clear her name, she flat out says 'no', and... and asks him to stay away from her from now on.

This turns out to the worse thing to say.

Neuvillette more or less goes down the crazy yandere route, trying every possible way to pry Furina!MC from Liyue's protective hands.

From underhanded to quite frankly downright dangerous ways, Neuvillette couldn't be stopped.

An obsessed dragon is the most dangerous of dragons...

At this point Fontaine and Liyue were at the edge of war.

Still, Furina!MC remains in the safety of Liyue, in Zhongli's arms... Until she wasn't.

Neuvillette manages to snatch her one night, sweeping her back to Fontaine, where he does something horrific.

Ignoring his new and rightful mate's screams, he presses a hand against her now swollen belly, feeling the hatchling moving around inside, and let's his Authority flow.

He couldn't let it remain the spawn of the Geo Usurper. So, he'll just change its element entirely...

Ending 3. Good ending.

Where like the bad ending, Neuvillette still becomes rather obsessed with Furina!MC after meeting her again, however, he takes a different route.

Meaning, he somehow ends up in a contract with an irritated Zhongli, and now the two them share Furina!MC.

Of course, this took a lot of time and effort on Neuvillette's part, as he had to prove himself to Furina!MC.

This also meant him having to sit down with her to talk. No more lies. No sneaky Goddess pulling the strings. Just him and Furina!MC.

And a very grumpy Zhongli who refused to leave Furina!MC alone with the Sovereign.

The talk was awkward and tense... And by the end of it Furina!MC was crying from recounting all she went through.

And the sky cried with her as Neuvillette's emotions grew erratic the more she talked...

If Focalors hadn't died, then he would've-

Mostly after that is spent Neuvillette slowly courting Furina!MC, gaining her trust as Zhongli watched him like a hawk.

And by the time Furina!MC's child was born, it got not one dragon daddy, but two.

[earlgreytea68]

I read a time travel book and it was...awful, let's just say it was really, really awful, and one of the "time travel rules" it had was that you couldn't do anything to change history, "history" would protect itself by basically killing you before letting you change it, which meant you couldn't bring anything out of its timeline, doing so would get you killed.

BUT THEN the rule became in fact "history" doesn't care if that thing was about to die or be destroyed in its timeline, then you could rescue it by bringing it to the future without "affecting" "history", and....I'm sorry, but I think rescuing the last dodo before it dies should, in fact, be considered the changing of history, like, this rule makes zero sense really, if I go back in time and I rescue Abraham Lincoln right before he's killed and he suddenly pops up in 2025, even if he's not famous here, even if he's just living out the rest of his life in obscurity, I have DEFINITELY changed "history," because "history" is what happens when the present becomes the past, it's happening all the time, like, the idea that there's a "present" you can change without "history" caring about it doesn't even make sense to me.

I know that most of time travel fiction is just going along with the timey-wimey of it but as someone who used to write time travel fic myself sometimes, like, I do think you can think it through a little better than this!!!!!

/rant over

[deniigi]

Heyy I just wanted to say that your writing style and stories have always been a favourite of mine, they always read really well and make me laugh especially when the characters take everything with deadly seriousness in a weird as hell situation lmao.

you and a couple other authors have inspired me to write my first fic but I am having trouble with it kinda reading awkwardly or a bit clunky at times? I think it's partly because I'm so unused to reading my own writing but I was wondering if you have any tips on avoiding writing becoming stilted since most other things seem to be going well apart from that ;)

Thankyou for all the stories!!

Hello Anon!!

I am SO EXCITED that you’re doing the damn thing!!! Hell yes, welcome to the flock, welcome to our wonderful club, our most mortifying and delicious hobby.

To hopefully set your mind at ease: the writing is just going to be clunky sometimes, and oftentimes it literally has to be so that your reader understands what you’re trying to convey.

I don’t quite know what’s going on to make your writing feel clunky, but here are some general things which might hel:

1. Use characters’ names more often than the prose, purely from an artistic perspective, might appear to require.

I am extremely guilty of going:

He looked behind him, and there he was, dallying. Probably dreaming of shrimp.

And I come back to read it later with my reader in mind and I’m like. Who the fuck is ‘he?’ There are 3 pronouns in this sentence, and they could belong to anyone.

So I rewrite that as:

Anakin looked behind him and there Rex was, dallying. Probably dreaming of shrimp.

BEHOLD CLARITY. Alas, we lost the poetry of ‘he, him, dallying, probably dreaming,’ but I want people to associate Rex with dreaming and shrimp, not Anakin, so the sacrifice is justified.

2. Use transitions.

I know it sounds like a highschool/college (if you’re British) thing to be told to use things like ‘then,’ ‘however,’ ‘unfortunately,’ ‘meanwhile,’ and so on, but I find that writing that moves without those types of transitions between big ideas can feel a little clunky.

If you don’t want to use direct transitions, you can link your sentences together by sort of repeating ideas that happened in the one before it. That makes the writing feel cohesive and like it is building on itself.

Here is an example of what I would consider clunky writing without obvious transitions:

Matt broke all the bones in his fist that night. He went home. He took some pain meds at the top of the hour. Foggy soon smugly joined him on the couch; he told Peter that he and Matt recently rewrote Matt’s will to have his brain pickled in the name of science.

Here is an example that is a little smoother (bold are obvious transitions, italics are moments of repeating ideas):

Fortunately, earlier that day, Matt had broken all the bones in his fist. He’d spent the last several hours marveling at the efficacy of pain medication and contemplating how one might test its upper limits. Foggy, satisfied with his current place in the universe at the side of his lightly maimed, but resoundingly not-dead husband, told Peter that he was having Matt’s brain pickled after his death in the name of scientific advancement.

Peter thanked him on Science’s behalf for his future donation and redirected both lawyers’ attention to the restraining order in his hands.

(Just as a reminder, transitions don’t have to be only 1 word, they can be clauses, which is why there the last sentence has bold and italics in it)

3. Use literary devices.

Genuinely: alliteration, similes, metaphors, allegories, allusions, ALL OF THEM THINGS.

I personally feel like using things makes writing feel more lived in, and they can sort of dispel some of the clunkiness and frustration that comes with trying to express an emotion or simple action.

Ex.

‘He froze when the door opened. When he realized who it was, he sighed in relief.’ VERSUS ‘When the door opened, he became a dead mouse. When he realized who it was, he came back to life.’

IT JUST FEELS GOOD. I recently realized that literary devices are the tastiest snacks in all writing. I know I’ve been doing this for years, but like it literally did not dawn on me that someone might use them purposefully until I read Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I wanted so bad to write like him and so had to like, actually sit with the text and think about it to figure out how to do it.

And that brings me to the last point, since I’m sure I’ve nattered on long enough:

4. Emulate the styles of writers you like.

For me? Tonally, nothing can beat the way that Toni Morrison describes things in Beloved. I love how Herman Melville uses alliteration in Moby Dick. I fucking adore the floral propriety and didactism of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

When I am writing, I’m trying to follow their lead and I’m thinking about how they string words together, and once I’m doing that, I find that I don’t feel like my writing is as disjointed or frustrating because I can see in my head what I am trying to emulate there.

WOW that was a lot. I hope something in there helped. Just so you know most people write like a billion drafts of smth before they hit on a way of telling the story that feels right. I wrote 6 versions of the last 2 chapters of my most recent Merlin fic. If nothing else, time will help.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Dandys world toons x Twisted!Reader who fights another Twisted to protect them please and thanks

Rodger, Toodles, and Sprout x Twisted!Reader who protects them

only got two more fics left to do for the monthly october batch i gotta lock in so i can at least have a two week grace period before june i fear the burnout is starting to sink in notes: gn twisted reader, TOODLES PART IS PLATONIC, technically theyre all platonic/up in the air save for her part, i just had an idea for toodles that was like. really sad, short and bittersweet, post game, youre only partially there mentally cws: mentions of injury and body horror

RODGER

as sucky as it might be his first thought was to figure out why you were different than the other twisteds- sure one could argue that some of the twisteds carry their old habits from.. before... but they all chase and cause some damage. you were the first to attack a fellow twisted

of course theres some hope that youre still in there somewhere but the risk of trying to bring you into the elevator is too great a risk- if he were doing a solo run though... he might just take that chance... whether for research or for your companionship and possible recovery

it does make him more... reckless... and persistent in his runs for the sake of answers, he doesnt become a total fool but hes definitely not playing it as safe as he did before. not that he was the panicle of safety when it came to himself anyway

TOODLES

genuinely has hope that your fighting back is proof enough that youre still at least okay enough to come back to the higher floors- and shes definitely going to try to convince the rest of the group to let you come with

no one wants to take the chance in case your defiance was a one off and you were going to attack them at any second. no one wants to make a kid cry but theres nothing that can be done to soften the rejection of toodles' idea

they have to pull her away from you because she refuses to leave your side. its even uglier if you were a parental figure to her prior to your twisting

SPROUT

he wouldnt lie and say the thought of trying to heal you didnt cross his mind. but can he realistically mend your broken up body? youre dripping ichor all over the place and you look like youve been mangled

absolutely torn between taking you back up and the need to ensure the protection of the other toons that are still around. it kills him on the inside but he has to leave you behind all over again

feels like it would be easier if you just let him get hurt. hes... conflicted. hes going to be thinking about it for so so long- likely until he twists himself. even if the twisteds somehow get fixed and healed the fact he left you behind willingly is going to be in the back of his mind forever

[ziote]

Tim Drake’s Missing Spleen*

*prefacing this by saying I am absolutely not a medical professional, but I am someone who has had a splenectomy and has lived spleen-less for 22 years and counting

I love how melodramatic fandom is and how determined we are to put our special guys (gender neutral) through The Horrors. So I find it interesting how there are pockets of the BatFandom using Tim’s spleen (or lack thereof) for whump or hurt/comfort fodder. Especially since our bodies can function relatively normally even without that organ.

So here I am, thinking out-loud in the village square, of the various ways Tim’s immune system can (realistically) be impacted by this based on my own biased experiences:

True, without a spleen you are more prone to infections.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the flu is going to dropkick Tim into a hospital bed. For the most part, Tim would be fine if he keeps up to date with his vaccines. (And with all of Gotham’s kitschy rogues with their airborne gasses/toxins, there is absolutely no way Tim [or by extension the rest of Batman Inc.] parade around Gotham or in the City’s sewage system without staying on top of their vaccines.)

That being said, if Tim maybe somehow ingested unpurified water though…

Imagine a scenario where Tim, either alone or with the Titans/Young Justice team, is on a mission—maybe he’s in the middle of nowhere doing some survival training with the Titans/Young Justice team without a clean water source, or maybe he’s stranded halfway around the world (off tracking down Bruce when he’s lost in time or whatever) and shouldn’t drink the tap water there.

Whatever the scenario is, Tim ingests unpurified water.

Drinking unclean water isn’t a good idea normally, but it can really fuck up someone without a spleen. From experience, this is an awful time. (I went cave diving in Uni and accidentally drank some of the cave water by accident. For the next three days: I couldn’t eat or drink anything, I could barely walk from my dorm room to the bathroom, and black gunk was coming out both ends.) You quite literally feel like you are going to die.

Tim returns to the manor thinking he has a stomach ache or something, then becomes increasingly more sick.

But its fine. Hes fine. He can handle an upset stomach. Walking unsteadily to the toilet every hour is exhausting. And, sorry Alfred, he's not really hungry but he'll try to eat a few more bites.

Anyways, he's fine.

Alfred or Damian (or choose your preferred batfamily member), finds Tim in his room later that night or the next day and he is sick as hell. They get that boy on antibiotics stat!

(which I did not do in Uni, and I should have. Do as I say, not as I do)

Que your typical comfort to end off the hurt.

And maybe the family learns about Tim’s missing spleen in the process and that explains why he's so sick. In Tim's defense, he's been busy and kind of forgot that his spleen was no longer with him. Promptly, in unison, they say “what the fuck, Tim.”

I should be on ao3 writing this as a fic, not on Tumblr. But alas, my WIP folder is endless…

[firstelevens]

In the interest of swaying the tags contents: What's your favorite line or concept or plot point or vibe in a WIP you have stewing right now? Or what's something you'd like to see in a fic?

Ooh, excellent question! As is tradition, my brain has decided to procrastinate wrapping up my current WIP by flinging itself full speed ahead into a new and equally bonkers idea, namely: a fic where everything is the same in the MCU except that Sam Wilson has secretly been writing romance novels under a pen name the whole entire time.

I'm still working through the details and there's not much of an outline to speak of yet because we're running on vibes at the moment, but here are some highlights so far:

Sam got started writing romance because he entered a competition with a cash prize while he was in college (engineering textbooks are expensive) and then he ended up winning

his agent is a friend from college who really didn't think they were going to have to get into spy levels of secrecy when they told their old college buddy that of course he could publish his novel under a pen name, and then that college buddy had to go and become an AVENGER

his first novel was historical romance set in 19th century New Orleans, and although most of his work is more contemporary, his last book before the Blip was set around World War 2 and lauded for its period-accurate details (there's a Steve credited in the acknowledgments as a historical consultant)

Sam's pen name is Riley Thomas, which is meaningful enough to hold weight for him, but gender neutral and innocuous enough that people wouldn't immediately associate it with him even after he was more present in the public eye

Steve and Nat did in fact know about Sam's books: Nat always made it a point to buy a copy if she stumbled across one of his books and Sam autographed them all with deeply silly inscriptions

the first time Bucky paused for half a second in front of a display at the bookstore that included one of Sam's books (promoting local NOLA-based authors), Sam shoved a Drizzt book in his hand because he vaguely remembered Gideon reading them and figured a thirty book series would keep Bucky busy for a while

regrettably, Bucky can multitask

[thhouseofblack]

I LITERALLY HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ON UR “Sleeping With a Serpent” FIC

First of all, Agamemnon you LOSER. Not him getting cucked by his own brother (runs in the family) while he watches. Also, Menelaus YOU LOSER. Not your brother literally giving you tips that’s so lame king.

Love my lying liar king Odysseus, at it since day one. Make me wonder how Agamemnon reacts to his relationship with Dio, since that one is genuinely built on affection. Like does he have a minor mental breakdown bcs Odysseus is HIS. And he’s all “everything he does with Dimedes I taught him 😡😈”. And his whole thoughts on Ody and Menelaus’ lives being stained by his influences is so funny in hindsight. Because no king, you actually do NOT have that a central role in Odysseus’ life that is remembered for generations to come, you lose out to so many ppl (INCLUDING UR OWN BROTHER) that it’s looking just the tiniest bit pathetic.

AS A MENEODY TRUTHER (but also bcz it’s funny) the line “That he would never outrank you. Not in my eyes and… nor in my heart.” is so funny if Menelaus eventually DOES. Like that’s so hilarious, like halfway through the war he realizes that Odysseus has genuine affection (even just platonically) for Meneluas that outranks what he has for Agamemnon (a relationship built on games and power plays). Like I just think of MLIKYW where he trusts Meneluas to hold Telemachus and how he’s kinda always lingering by his side. I headcanon Odysseus’ affection being measured by how much control he is willing to give up, like how much he’ll let you get away with (I CAN GO INTO THIS SO MUCH BUT I’LL REFRAIN BCZ THIS WILL ALREADY BE SO LONG). Unlike his relationships with Diomedes and Menelaus, Odysseus has built his relationship with Agamemnon purely only forcing the other to give into them. There’s too many power plays going on for anything resembling genuine devotion on Ody’s part to form. This many rlly has a tier list, and Agamemnon I am afraid to tell you that you do not rank at the top (it’s Penelope ofc).

ALSO, not him fantasizing abt Ody being a woman and marrying her like you are next to your WIFE who has birthed YOUR CHILDREN, get it together Agamemnon. It brings me back to that one fanfic where in the notes Laertes is like “I wish Odysseus was born as a girl 😔” bcz of all the shenanigans he gets up to and he could have an excuse to keep him inside and Anticlea is like “???? Why would you do that to me ? He would give birth to 2 kids out of wedlock and the 3rd would be from a god 😨” and Laertes is like “so true queen, nvm”.

ALSO ALSO, just the line abt Ody being compared to the gods and him being a treasure from an Olympian’s vault is again super fun considering he’s kinda the poster boy for divine obsession. Like yess king, good instincts the gods will in fact NOT leave him alone for the last 2/3rds of his life. He will be perpetually bothered by them to the point where he genuinely considers his life decision that led up to this point bcz Odysseus is (say it with me kids) Just Some Guy ™️.

ALSO X3 can’t wait for Agamemnon’s reaction to realizing Odysseus wants to marry Penelope and is genuinely heads over heels in love with her. The crash out will be legendary, but at least Ody can stay in the family and they can see each other at reunions 🤷

ALSO X4 one thing I find fun is how little both Atreides know nothing abt Odysseus truly. Like Agamemnon clearly has no idea how favoured Ody is by Athena, even several years into the future. I wonder if it would change how he interacts with him, and how Aga would totally be more wary bcz so far he’s been treating Ody as some personal gift destined for him. The Agamemnon of this fic could not possibly comprehend Odysseus becoming greater than him in the future. It also leads me to wonder if Icarius and his sons would also think differently of Odysseus if they were aware of this during his courtship of Penelope (Icarius would def disapprove the same)

Okay I’ve been rambling too much I’ll stop now I just have so many thoughts and genuinely live your writing. Thank you for the meal mother 🙏

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING IT!! I worked really hard on it - which seems silly for a fanfic but like - anyway!

getting cucked by your own brother is a generational ritual at this point in the house of atreus - agamemnon you're looking like your daddy rn, menelaus has so many thoughts during that whole thing - honestly i found it so entertaining to write cause its all crazy people being crazy

i hc agamemnon having his own issues with odydio - but then he also sees it as odysseus having a little bit of fun? though the years pass and things look serious and he's just like - "well i'm more important in odysseus' life, it is me he looks to when something is happening and he needs help" (odysseus is shamelessly going through the war one "erastes please" at a time - chapter 3, 4 & 5 are set during the trojan war so you'll see what i mean!!!)

and it really does look embarrassing on agamemnon's end, but a lot of his thoughts on the matter are influenced by the role he holds, he is king of mycenae and compared to menelaus and odysseus his position is far stronger, through the years as his influence grows it's more of: oh i've done this and that for these people in my life, and both menelaus and odysseus appreciate it, the latter to a lesser extent - but you do see it. i took odysseus and agamemnon's interactions in the iliad and the odyssey as sort of a sign as oh despite it all odysseus does care for agamemnon to a certain degree - but there isn't that all-adoring love that you see in this chapter that odysseus claims is so. like how in the iliad odysseus twists agamemnon's words to coax achilles into joining back into battle, if that makes sense?

SEE I'm a one-sided meneody enjoyer because i just can't see odysseus reciprocating that affection? i fear menelaus is too sweet for odysseus - ykwim? also i love the angst and baby boy menelaus is fr the best person to put it through

that being said I DO agree with what you're saying in that menelaus ranks higher in odysseus' little tier list 😭😭

there is genuine platonic affection on odysseus' end for menelaus, and he's more likely to trust menelaus because he knows what the man's nature is. with agamemnon i do think there is affection, but also a strange sort of comfort - at least my fics i have it that way because i like how it ties into their relationship when they were younger, BUT ALSO the scene in the odyssey where odysseus and agamemnon have a little cry because they can't hug each other in the underworld! all of this is overshadowed by their political positions and odysseus' little games of power plays - there is loyalty to an extent but not genuine devotion.

ALSO PLEASE GO INTO ODYSSEUS' LOVE LANGUAGE BEING HIS RELAXING OF CONTROL I REALLY WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS OHMYGOD????

could i have the link to that fic with the dialogue between laertes and anticlea it sounds hilarious 😭

that particular sentence was a last minute addition and i was cracking up thinking of it all cause its so insane but also very agamemnon i fear.

bits and pieces of agamemnon's reaction to odysseus wanting to marry penelope is in the next chapter!! i like how it is, it's around 6 years after chapter 1 and so odysseus still is very young but obviously he's not under agamemnon anymore (literally but also metaphorically) and so the dynamic is different slightly, idk how to explain it? absence makes the heart grow fonder? societal expectations?

"The Agamemnon of this fic could not possibly comprehend Odysseus becoming greater than him in the future." YOU'RE RIGHT - and again i like to chalk it up to the varying powers that their positions hold. because there is an existing power dynamic, and odysseus is subverting it but also using it to his advantange when need be for him.

Icarius and his sons are aware of Odysseus being Athena's champion! That man pulls out no stops trying to get Penelope's hand, Icarius just doesn't want to give away his daughter, especially so far away from him.

again, thank you so so much for reading!!!! and for this comment, it was so fun reading it but also replying back <3333

[secretsoftheuniverse1987]

my sun, my moon, and all my stars is quite possibly my favorite thing I've ever written because I wrote it in a daze with so little knowledge of the source material and in the months since I've written it, I've oscillated wildly between "this is absolute slop, the likes of which I do not wish to be associated with" and "this is perhaps the most impressive feat of writing I've ever accomplished and I want it on repeat"

[stormyoceans]

im not saying fucking nasty and becoming obsessed with each other would have solved everything....it would have probably only made them worse actually....but i think they should have tried it anyway. for science

[wwheeljack]

I genuinely remain confounded by the two sides to the Tech debate in this fandom. I've seen so many people on the Tech Lives side proclaim that they will be attacked, or insulted or made fun of for their ideas, all while they argue that those who see Tech as dead do so only because they want him dead since he's "autistic".

I've seen people on the Tech is Dead side go out of their way to comment unnecessarily on people who want him back with their beliefs on his death. This is unnecessary, just as it is unnecessary for those who believe or want Tech alive to make assumptions about those who believe the opposite.

That multiple people believe that is why someone may believe he's dead is confounding. The idea that Tech may be dead is not predicated on a hatred for autistic people, or autistic like characters. It isn't malicious for people to either want him alive, or to have accepted his death.

Frankly, it is tiring how the main focus of Tech's entire being since season two is that he died, and he's potentially autistic (The Crossing included, he never has been outright confirmed as such). He is so much more than that, and deserves to have people focus on him aside from just his death.

Curate your fandom experience by muting words or tags that may upset you.

[kijosakka]

au where through training for the,,, fuckin skate olympics or whatever alejandro did he realizes how shitty his family is and manages to leave the situation (probably getting disowned,, living off of money won through skate competitions or smth idk) and years later reunites with josé on ridonculous race to try and rekindle a real family relationship

[elegy-for-the-present]

Making that photoset with the Agnes Obel lyrics got me thinking about Dark (2017, Netflix) and the dynamic between George and Max. The main theme of that show is that the protagonists cannot escape from the time loop because they are slaves to their desires. They cannot give up what they want, which means that whenever they arrive at a crossroad, they make the same old wrong choice and are doomed to never break the loop. It's only when they sacrifice themselves that the knot is undone. And in a much less dramatic way, it kind of is the same with George and Max. What they want most in life is to win. And that means races and championships, of course, but this obsession also seeps into their arguments, where neither is willing to shrug and say "whatever, it's no big deal". Both of them need to have the last word, both of them want to deliver the devastating blow. So they're friends when they're not competing directly, because they have the love of racing in common and they make each other laugh and they both love to talk and they work in the same place and they're two of only 20 people in the world going through an incredibly specific set of situations, but when push comes to shove they cannot pass on a fight because none of them is willing to let go of the thing he wants most in the world, which is to win, anything, at any cost.

[midnightfangz]

There's something about silly cafe AUs that soothes my soul so much

[koushirouizumi]

Me: ... (*adding up my Meanwhile with Shane AU wordcount*) M E: mE: This thing is 76k+ words long?!??!?