#ty for the question i love to give recommendations and i love to talk about mindcrack

[fetusgooseandjuice]

Forever

Pairings: Knight!Natasha Romanoff x Princess!Reader

Summary: How Natasha proposed to you.

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: None— just fluff!

Author’s Note: This is a mini-oneshot to my fic “Soulmates”. I’d recommend reading that one before this for context to be able to grasp the storyline!

Mini-oneshots: Promise

"What is it that you wanted to talk to us about, Natasha?" your father asked as he looked at the redhead from across the table.

The knight had requested a meeting with your parents, though it wasn't about the kingdoms royal guard as you were told.

It was about you.

Natasha didn't want to lie, but she needed to come up with an excuse to not raise any suspicions from you. And a meeting with the King and Queen about the royal guard seemed perfect.

"I actually wanted to speak to you about Y/n." the knight said.

Your parents eyebrows raised at that. "What’s going on? Is everything okay?" your mother said.

"Oh everything's fine. Perfect actually." Natasha was quick to reassure them. "I just had a thought and I wanted to run it by both of you before I go through with it."

They nodded their heads and Natasha took it as her go-ahead to continue.

"I want to ask Y/n to marry me, and I wanted your permission to do so." she said.

It was silent for a few moments before the biggest grins pulled at their lips.

"Of course you have our permission, Natasha. Did you think we'd say no after all these years?" your mother laughed and stood from her seat to pull your girlfriend in for a hug.

Natasha smiled happily, "I was counting on you saying yes, but if I was going to do this I wanted to do it right."

Your father stood up and made his way over to the redhead to give her a quick hug as well, "We appreciate it, Natasha, but we knew you'd end up tying the knot sooner or later and we love you so of course it's okay."

"Did you need help with anything? We're happy to help with whatever you need." your mother said.

The redhead already had an idea in mind for a while, so she was hoping you'd like it.

“I was thinking…”

~ ~ ~

"Nat, where are you taking me?" you giggled.

You took cautious steps as Natasha walked behind you with her hands covering your eyes, carefully guiding you to some unknown location while also making sure the path ahead of you was safe.

"Hold on, we're almost there." she chuckled at your impatience.

This was second time you had asked that to the knight even though she said it was a secret the first time the question left your mouth.

It was a quiet night in the castle before Natasha came to you. Both of your families had gone to bed, and most of the staff had already clocked out for the exception of a few guards who were taking their positions for the night shift.

You were winding down in bed, catching up on some reading you'd been too busy to do during the day when the redhead peeked her head into your bedroom to make sure you were still awake.

To her excitement you were, so she took the book out of your hands and made sure to bookmark your place. Ignoring the complaints from you Natasha took your hands into hers and dragged you from the comfort of your shared bed to lead you outside.

Which brings you to now.

Blindly walking down a path with Natasha to direct you. You'd tripped over your own feet twice, but of course your girlfriend caught you before any real damage could happen.

"Okay we're here. Are you ready?" Natasha asked as she stopped you both in your tracks.

Her question made you laugh, "Well you did bring me out here against my will, so do I really have a choice?"

"Nope" she said simply before taking her hands away from your eyes and fixing her stance behind you so she could watch your face.

You had to blink a few times for your eyes to adjust, but when they finally focused your face softened at the sight. You now knew that you were in the castle gardens, but in front of you was a picnic the redheaded knight had set up for the two of you.

There was a blanket on the ground with lanterns and candles scattered around for warm lighting. There were multiple baskets of food sat on top along with a bottle of what you assumed to be wine.

The amazed look on your face was enough for the knight to feel proud of herself.

"What all of this?" you smiled and turned your head to look at her only for that same smile to be mirrored on her face too.

"It's for you, my love."

"What for? Is there something happening today? What did I forget—"

"Relax, princess." Natasha chuckled and stepped in front of you so you could now be face to face. "You didn't forget anything. I just thought we could spend a little time together. You know, just me and you. Away from everyone else."

In that moment you didn't know what you did to deserve the redhead, you were speechless. But as you pondered about it for a second you came to the conclusion that you just didn't deserve her.

"I love you," you whispered.

If Natasha wasn't standing as close to you as she was she wouldn't of heard you. But your words brought a soft smile to the knights face as she looked at you.

She ran a hand over your hair to smooth down the fly aways and leaned in to press her lips to your forehead.

"I love you more," she said, "Now let's get to the food before the bugs beat us there."

You giggled as her hand found its place in yours and the redheaded led you over to the blanket where you both sat down. When you began looking through the baskets to see the options Natasha must've noticed the impressed look on your face that had formed.

"I asked your mom to show me how to make some of your favorites because I know I'm not the best cook, so I hope it tastes alright."

The food tasted amazing, but you didn't expect anything less from your girlfriend to begin with. The two of you talked about everything as you enjoyed each other’s company.

You’d finished the food, took a walk around the garden, and Natasha had spun you in a dance that probably would have looked silly to anyone else because of the way you were both laughing.

By the time you two sat back down and started to get comfy on the blanket it was probably well past midnight.

And you didn’t mind one bit.

The stars were out twinkling and the crickets were chirping, but time always seemed to fly whenever you were with the redhead.

“It’s so quiet out here,” you sighed as you laid your head on the knights shoulder and curled up to her. “I don’t think I’ve ever been out here this late at night before, but I like it.”

“I knew you would.” Natasha put her arm around you and pecked the side of your head, “I know things have been busy recently and you’ve been stressed with all the kingdoms nobles practically breathing down your neck, so I thought some alone time would be good for us.”

You smiled at her and lifted your head to kiss her cheek, “Thank you, Nat. You’ve had a lot on your plate too lately so thank you for doing this.”

“You don’t have to thank me, princess. You know I’d do anything for you.” she said and you leaned in press your lips in a soft kiss. “But I wasn’t a hundred percent honest with my reason for bringing you all the way out here.”

You tilted your head with a slight furrow between my eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

“Yelena always teased me for the crush I had on you when we were younger. My mom called us soulmates when she thought I wasn’t listening and I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I do.” Natasha said, and her voice was so soft the sound made your heart melt.

“There’s nothing about you that I don’t absolutely adore. The way you look out for the people you love. The way you always know what to say to make me feel better. The way you put everyone else’s needs before your own, so much that you forget to take care of yourself too.” she chuckled and it made you giggle.

“But that’s what I’m here for. To take care of you when you forget to. Whenever you need a break from your stresses I’ll sneak you away like how I did tonight because it’s least you deserve.” The redhead’s hand reached to cup the side of your face.

You let yourself lean into her touch as she brushed your hair behind your ear and her thumb stroked your cheek. She was turning you to putty in the palm of her hand, leaving you speechless at her words.

“Oh, Nat. I don’t know what to say, you’re gonna make me cry.” you chuckled and blinked away the tears that were forming as she just gazed at you.

Even when you were on the verge of tears Natasha still thought you were the most beautiful person to exist.

“You don’t have to say anything, my love, because I’m not done yet.” she said and you nodded for her to continue. “We’ve known eachother our entire lives and I know there was never a time where I didn’t love you, even when we were just little kids who didn’t know what it meant.”

The knight untangled herself from your arms to reach into her pocket, “I loved you then, I love you now, and this is my promise that I’ll love you forever.”

You watched as Natasha shifted to kneel on one knee in front of you as she pulled out a tiny black box. When she opened it, a delicate gold band with a shining gemstone placed sophisticatedly on top was revealed.

“So please say that you’ll spend the rest of forever with me, but as my wife. Will you marry me, Y/n?”

At this point, the tears that had been building up in your eyes since the redhead started talking were now falling freely down your cheeks. Natasha wasn’t doing any better, though. You could see her eyes watering as they took on a glossy appearance.

A vigorous nod of your head was all you could give at first with the way you were crying, “Yes,” you barely got out as your voice broke, “Yes of course I’ll marry you, Natasha.”

The wind was knocked out of the knights lungs and she almost lost her balance when you lunged forward to hug her close to you. She returned the embrace once she regained her footing, finally letting the few tears escape her eyes.

When you pulled back you connected your lips and kissed her as if it was the first time all over again. It caught Natasha off guard, but she wasted no time in reciprocating.

You separated when air became a necessity, the only sound heard was the heavy breathing as you tried to catch your breath. Your foreheads rested against each others and you both broke out into a fit of laughter at the pure happiness you felt.

Natasha was the first speak up, “You didn’t even let me put the ring on you.” she chuckled.

“Oh, Nat,” your hand came up to tuck a few of her stray red hairs away so you could see her face clearly, “The ring is beautiful, but I didn’t need one to agree to marry you. I would’ve said yes even if you had nothing because all I want is you.”

She kissed your lips again before taking the tiny piece of jewelry out of the box, “I know, but you at least deserve to have a ring on that finger of yours so let me put it where it belongs.”

The redhead took your left hand into hers and slid the ring into your finger, “There, now you’re stuck with me for forever.”

“Happily,” you said and you both laughed, taking a moment to admire it.

Of course Natasha had it sized perfectly.

“Oh, and I almost forgot I found this in the garden during our walk,” you watched the knight reach into her pocket before holding out the contents in front of you.

It was a flower. A yellow flower to be more specific.

One that was nearly identical to the yellow flower Natasha had picked when you were younger

She reached up and delicately placed it in your hair, “When I first proposed to you with this flower in these gardens, I think I understood what I was doing even though we were just kids.”

Grinning, you began leaning closer to the redhead, “And I’m pretty sure I understood what I was doing when I said yes.” you connected your lips once your noses were touching and wrapped your arms around her shoulders to keep her close.

You both knew you’d have to eventually go inside and deal with the responsibilities of tomorrow, but that all could wait.

For now, everything was perfect, and you were the happiest you’d ever been.

~ end ~

[spacexseven]

tunaaaaa I've been reading ur Childe Thing sooo much that I've been thinking of I Love Amy aus nonstop. its a problem. in honor of bsd s4 im gonna rapid fire a couple out for the Bsd Boys!

lets talk dazai. I feel like this could go a lot of ways with him. like, if its ada dazai, you probably don't really get the sense that something is kinda off with him until you're a bit too deep to back out. he seemed so sweet when you first met- fuckin weird, but sweet! no harm in trying to help him win over a crush, right? for pm dazai, you obviously know hes fucked in the head the second you meet him, so you agree to help him out of a fear of what he might do to you if you dont rather than a sense of altruism. either way, its kinda hard to notice him getting a little overly-attached to you just cuz of how naturally obnoxious and clingy he is. even if he starts to escalate you might not get it cuz hes pretty fast and loose about LITERALLY kidnapping you and tying you up in his apartment/mafia holding cell right off the bat (gets very pouty about you "ignoring" him). doesnt help that hes so out of touch with his own emotions he probably doesn't even know he has a thing for you for a whiiile. trust me tho, being nice to him and taking care of him when hes sick or injured WILL wear him down. you'll only kind of get it when you try to give him some new pointers on his crush and he seems to just get? annoyed? mutters something about you talking about someone else while you're SUPPOSED to pay attention to HIM. or when he keeps being weirdly affectionate with you in full view of X when hed usually forget you exist as soon as he sees them. or you woke up chained to a chair (again) but this time hes perched in your lap and scolding you about avoiding your "boyfriend" before shoving his lips against yours. couldve been any of these occasions really.

cant BELIEVE I didn't think of gogol the first time I talked about this this is almost EXACTLY what yes doing to sigma rn. when this fuckin 6'2 clown terrorist traps you against a wall and starts questioning about why you were talking to "his darling", you are 10000% sure you're gonna die. almost gives you whiplash how fast his tone changes once you convince him you have NO interest. all smiles all of the sudden, picks u up under the armpits like a cat to right ur posture and pats you on the head, declaring that you will be his magicians assistant for a while! you do not have a say in this, if you'd like to keep your skin. while you feel bad about aiding and abetting this stalking case, you get the sense that hes. not ever gonna actually make a move. kinda just Wants To Stalk. goes on about how he cant let himself be tied down like that (whatever that means). he does talk about just murdering his darling a lot but you've managed to convince him that thats unnecessary baggage connecting them to him so hopefully that keeps him sated until his goldfish-esque attention span finally moves him onto a new target. and it does! the problem is that its you. I think that once he realizes he likes you, he's just gonna vanish. poof gone. hes had a lot of fleeting obsessions with ill-fated darlings before, but youre something new. hes never actually gotten to know someone before! ugh. hes caged by his feelings for you, but the despair hed feel from killing you would be a cage all its own! frustrating!!!!! maybe if he just leaves and never thinks about you ever again this'll just go away like all of his other crushes. doesnt work. expect him back in a month, snuggling into your neck and babbling inane about having missed you. he tied you up again so youre just gonna have to let him do that. its fine youre used to this with him.

really wanted to do this with chuuya and fyodor too but im scared of them being OOC help me.

- 🩹

omg so this turned out to be Very Long :O quick context for any1 who is unfamiliar w i love amy—it's a webtoon (highly recommend btw) where the yandere character starts to fall for her 'target/rival' instead of her initial love interest. for more info + the childe version, check out this post.

cw: yandere characters (dazai, fyodor, nikolai), stalking, kidnapping, imprisonment, obsessive behavior, threats of violence to reader. (this whole post came off a little silly instead of serious But mind the cws anyway!)

this is best read with a male reader (to keep it consistent w i love amy) but there's no pronouns used or descriptions for reader, so do as you like. also, reader makes morally questionable decisions :>

(pm) dazai is to be avoided at all costs. that was the rule you put down for yourself after witnessing one of his very public threats to some poor pedestrian who had bumped into him. the dramatic coat, the blank expression, the natural ease with which he handled the weapon in his hand—everything about him was just...alarming.

however, despite all your efforts, he's obstructed your path home with a deadly glare and a hand in his pocket.

according to dazai, he did not appreciate your recent conversation with X, (as he claimed, they were too popular to spare most people more than a few friendly greetings—so why were you having a full-fledged conversation with them?) who were you, even, to get in his way? you sputter out some excuse, some explanation as to why he misunderstood the situation and it was all just work-related, and fortunately, he seems convinced, at least enough to relax his hold on you and shift the blaring malice in his stance to something less frightening.

obviously, you couldn't refuse when he offers you what he calls a mutually beneficial proposition. you help him get closer to X, and he won't kill you! win-win, don't you think?

the thing about dazai, you soon learn, is that despite the murderous energy he gives off, he's painfully annoying, more so than frightening. it almost feels like you're dealing with an obnoxious child, with how he's constantly whining and tugging at your sleeve and complaining about how useless you're being.

and it also makes you wonder if he's ever really had a friend, because he's got some strange expectations for you. he's all too possessive, too paranoid, and expects you to be perfectly fine with it. you consider telling him that he's not supposed to hold you hostage every time he thinks you're spending "too much time with someone else", but after the 4th attempt, you've understood that there was no getting to him. at least he stopped with the threats to your other friends (well, he promised you that he'd stop), and that seemed like the only thing he was willing to compromise on. he doesn't ease up on the breaking-into-your-room-to-visit-you stunt, either, especially when you're "ignoring him". despite all that, maybe out of some form of pity, you still help him out. you drop off food when he's sick and try to explain that imprisonment is not the key to a healthy relationship. you hang out with him even if you're terrified of all the mafioso you come across when you visit the hq with him, and after all of it, you're mostly convinced that he wasn't going to kill you anytime soon. in fact, the two of you seemed to be building an unusual friendship.

but when he comes to visit you one day when you're sick and actually knocks on the door and texts you beforehand, you tell him that this would be the best way to approach X if he ever hears that they're sick. though you're expecting some excitement, or some self-satisfaction for improving a little, instead of looking excited, dazai looks frustrated. for the first time, he looks genuinely...upset. and when he asks you why you can't appreciate that he was looking out for you and not X, you're left at a loss for words. you're not sure if this was a sign that he was starting to learn not to cross your boundaries or a warning that he was beginning to like you a little too much

and things only get stranger. he becomes more observant, asks you more questions about yourself rather than X, and even starts holding your hand in full view of X. when you mention that X was really looking forward to a new movie coming out and that he should try to ask them out, he gets upset by your suggestion, grumbling about you paying more attention to X and only caring about them instead of asking him if he wants to see the movie with them. so, unsure of how to respond, you echo his question. he beams at you and happily declares that he only wants to watch the movie with you.

somewhere along the line, it happened that dazai himself started to realize just how much he liked you, and he spirals out of control. the already overwhelming physical contact turns more intimate, with dazai holding your hand at every possible moment, pressing himself as close to you as humanely possible without squeezing the air out of you, and sitting on your lap whenever the opportunity presents itself. he stops responding to anything that isn't an endearing pet name and introduces himself as your boyfriend. X seems to be eradicated from his mind, as well as anyone that wasn't you, though it feels as though you're the only one that has a problem with this change. dazai takes to it naturally, seamlessly inserting himself into your life.

"what's wrong?" dazai's sprawled across your lap with the biggest grin on his face, the remote in your hand long ripped away by him, "come give your boyfriend a kiss~"

you've...heard of fyodor. it was more overhearing whispers shared between people, but the mention of his name seemed to intrigue everyone who heard it. you've heard that he was a mysterious man who walked into the city one day and never left, and you've heard that he was the owner of an expensive casino. you've even heard that he had a tendency to stand on top of rooftops at night, but you've heard tons of variations and rumors. one statement, however, rang true in everyone's ears.

fyodor dostoevsky was taken with X.

that was putting it lightly—obsession was exactly what it was. though X was clearly unaware of what was being said, because, as they assured you one day while you walked out with them, fyodor was just a friend! and he was a very interesting guy, with some strong beliefs. he wasn't some criminal mastermind! all he did was keep to himself. and that, as they confidently declared, wasn't a crime.

but you had reason to not believe X, after all, it wasn't them at the receiving end of a laser focused gaze and a creepy smile. (it scared you so much that you ran home and ordered a burglar-proof lock for your door the same night) and it also wasn't them who sat down across from you while you were having your breakfast in the café nearby. anyone would have been better than who it was.

"hello," fyodor waves a fork at you, his fingers positioned gracefully on the silver cutlery (and of course, you think bitterly, he was evil and beautiful. just your luck), "i hope you can spare me a few minutes."

he wasn't asking, but you melted at his soft tone. for all people loved to talk about him, why hadn't they mentioned how hard it was to take your eyes off him? awkwardly, you take another bite of your food, nodding at him.

he asks you about X, though it's more of an interrogation disguised as casual conversation. he easily waves around his fork, smiles at you with an unnerving expression, and stares at you a little too long. by the end of it, your food is finished and his fork is placed neatly back onto the table and you've sustained no injuries. better yet, he finally seems to have (reluctantly) removed your name from his hit list.

what you weren't expecting was for him to start seeking you out. you get strange looks when fyodor waits outside your workplace with an umbrella—your umbrella—leaving you with no choice but to walk with him unless you wanted to get home soaked. he lists off X's habit and asks you to add on to his list, ignoring your reply of "that's just creepy". he tells you that he wants to respect X's privacy by not using cameras to spy on them so will you answer him or should he use the cameras? and what else could you do then?

at the very least, he didn't seem serious about attempting to kidnap or imprison X. he seemed fascinated by them, if anything. like he was...studying them. being with him wasn't as bad as you'd though, no matter how much you hated to admit it, despite the foundation of this friendship was built on how amusing he found X. if he was in a particularly good mood, he'd even offer to help you out with your struggles in the pursuit of love. his ideas, however, were all sure to land you behind bars with a retraining order to boot. when you voiced your opinion to him, he only smiled and told you that he knew a thing or two about breaking out of a prison cell, much like he was recalling upon a fond memory.

the only good thing about this strange arrangement was that fyodor was really nice to look at. there was something mesmerizing about his every action, even the slight quirk of his lips or the way his hair fell on his forehead. the ease with which he slipped on his hat (which, by the way, what was with all his not-weather-appropriate clothing? was he not sweating?), and the commanding air around him. so while he spoke seriously about X and his distaste for most of the human population, you tuned him out and focused on admiring his pretty eyes and how his lips wrapped around his fork and—ugh, you were starting to sound as creepy as him. but honestly, you had a feeling he already knew that you found him attractive. fyodor was far too good at reading people, far too perceptive to let something as obvious as your attraction to him slip.

your mistake was foolishly believing that you'd be safe as long as you didn't act on those feelings.

it felt strange, however, when he started reaching your usual table first, having already asked for your go-to meal and watching with thinly veiled delight as you stared down at the hot plate. and it's your coworkers now that get stared at, your friends who get the silent threat of a fork pressed against smooth skin, and you that everyone whispers that fyodor dostoevsky is taken with.

the meaning behind his increasingly strange behaviour doesn't really hit you, not until you've bumped into X again, who you haven't seen around in a while.

"i see that you and fyodor are becoming good friends now," they grin, "i'm almost jealous of how quickly you warmed up to him."

long fingers reach to caress your cheek before a perfectly poised hand places itself on your shoulder. fyodor's unmistakable voice replies in your stead.

"we're friends? is that what you've heard?" fyodor dips his head down to lock eyes with yours, "why don't you correct them about that, darling?"

you should have trusted sigma when he told you that nikolai gogol was bad news. as he clarified, so bad that, coincidentally, the ministry of justice hq was moved away at least by two states when nikolai came to visit.

but how were you to know that he was in love with one of your acquaintances? and how were you to know that his idea of love was this frightening? just when you were making your way back after a lukewarm conversation about work with X, you were slammed up against the wall by a person with a top hat and a coat and an honestly terrifying expression. then nikolai, as he later introduced himself, started grilling you with questions, ruthlessly asking about why you were with X and why did they smile at you and where does your family live, after which he happily told you about his many previous experiences with torture and how he would love to show you.

you're not sure what convinced him to let you go, whether it was your trembling legs or your teary promises that you had no interest in X in that way, but here you were now—alive, terrified, and offered the position of 'magician's assistant' (though the magician himself refused to tell you why the position was open for so long) and all it took to land the increasingly strange job was to talk to X and listen to nikolai threaten to torture you in graphic detail.

(among all the crazy people you had seen around here—that so-called 'world's best detective' who snatched your bag of candy right from your hands, that other person who started doing push-ups in the middle of the road, and someone giggling holding a bag of lemons by the port—you thought that nikolai definitely fit right in. not that you were going to tell him that)

while the position wasn't exactly what you wanted, nor were you too keen on spending more time around nikolai, something about the glint in his uncovered eye and the hand gripping your shoulder told you that you really wouldn't want to reject his offer. contrary to what you may have assumed, assisting nikolai only meant becoming a partner to his criminal activity, which revolved around stalking X, talking to them to find out all the information nikolai can't get by stalking them, and stalking them even more to find out any more details that neither of you could get. (you've considered helping out as much as you can, leaving hints in the form of obscure drawings of nikolai and danger symbols, but later, when you catch sight of X waving to him, you realize the message did not come across the way you intended it to)

fortunately for them, (and for you. at least now, you won't be behind bars for assisting in abduction) nikolai seems to have no interest whatsoever in pursuing them any further. sure, he keeps books filled with information about X, and buys their favorite drink alongside his order, but he doesn't seem to want to do anything more.

while you could care less about why he does whatever he's doing, already chalking it all up to the fact that he was off his rockers, nikolai decides to enlighten you all the same. when he excitedly rambles on and on about freedom and feelings and why X must now die, you pretend to listen, never actually telling him that nothing he said made any sense to you. still, after insisting that he won't be very free behind bars either and that if he really didn't want to be tied down by his feelings, he should actually distance himself from them instead, it appeared that you finally got him to understand, and he hesitantly agreed to listen.

for the most part, everything is great after that. your life returns to normal, with no top hat wearing, cane wielding magician in the vicinity, and no more having to invade someone's privacy. and it was great! really! even if it was a little bit boring without nikolai's spontaneous plans (maybe that time in the amusement park was pretty fun, even if the only reason you had to go was because X was going there with someone else, much to nikolai's horror). there was something both unsettling and addictive about the crazy adventures nikolai swept you on, though it was for the best that he disappeared.

but then nikolai came back…acting a little odd.

his clinginess and a sudden desire for physical affection set off alarms in your head, though he acted like this was perfectly normal. at first, you told yourself that this must be some new jealousy plot—maybe he got this idea from a tv show he watched over his 'break', but he hadn't asked you if you wanted to be part of this ploy (not that he ever did, really).

and your suspicions only grew when he refused to let up on the act, holding onto you as if his life depended on it. his trips with you became increasingly frightening, and his grip on you increasingly tighter. he takes his new position by your side, not at all focused on X anymore, and instead observes you with the same look that was fixated on X not too long ago.

it only hits you that you've become his new target when you find yourself tied up to a chair, with him seated right in front of you with his face up to yours. the exact scenario you convinced him not to put X through.

"your advice sucks, by the way," he pouts, "i tried staying away but i couldn't stop thinking of you! don't be too upset, alright? we can have even more fun now that we're together!"

[fluentmoviequoter]

hi love! i was hoping you could write more about Dalton, maybe like where he meets the reader at a Halloween party from a sorority, since Chris is trying to get him a gf. It can be kinda like a Cinderella kind of thing since everyone is wearing costumes and masks, he doesn’t know who is the mysterious girl that danced all night.

I love this idea so much!! This was a ton of fun to write! I don't think I actually said this was a Halloween party, just a masquerade party, so if you want to imagine it taking place at a different time you can. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

Warnings: switches POV, movie references, fluff, maybe a little angst?. 1.8k words.

A/N: I loved writing this so much and it actually inspired me to do a Halloween Writing Party, so I'll be posting more information about that at the beginning of October! The title and the last lines are references from Another Cinderella Story (2008), and I recommend listening to the song 'Just That Girl'. :)

Just That Girl

“We should go.”

Chris looks at the party invite on the desk, then looks around like she’s entered an alternate reality.

“Who are you and what did you do with Dalton Lambert?” Chris asks.

“Chris, it’s a party where no one knows who anyone else is. It’s a party with no complications, no danger. Let’s do it.”

“I don’t know what’s happening, but I am agreeing because this will never happen again. And we can finally get you a girlfriend,” Chris states as she stands.

“It’s a party, not a date. We need masks and costumes.”

“Oh, dear Dolphin, never fear when Chris is near.”

✧✧✧✧✧

“The wig doesn’t seem excessive?” you question, holding the synthetic hair up to your head.

“No. It is entirely necessary, it pulls the whole look together,” your friend insists.

You roll your eyes but comply, tying your mask on before securing your wig over it. Your friend adds a few finishing touches before deeming you ready to go.

“I didn’t realize sororities had so many themed parties with such strict rules,” you state as you exit her bedroom.

“Yeah. Which reminds me, you aren’t allowed to take off your mask, change your costume after you arrive, or tell anyone your name.”

“My name?”

“Yep. Gotta let everyone wonder who the mysterious pretty girls are.”

As you descend the stairs, all the sorority sisters are already welcoming guests, and people are dancing and talking. You nod to your friend and go your separate ways. Walking through the growing crowd, you notice the many costumes and masks. Entering the kitchen, you’re surprised to see only two people getting drinks.

“You’re still not going to tell me where you got this costume so quickly?” the boy asks.

“Flynn Rider,” you interject, “wherever she got it, it’s a great costume.”

He looks up and smiles, the only part of his face visible. “Thanks.”

The girl looks between the two of you before walking away, asking a guy to dance as she exits the kitchen.

“Would you like to dance?” you ask.

“Sure. I’m not very good, never really danced before,” he answers, taking your hand.

“No one’s good, we just pretend to be. Let the mask give you all of the confidence you need,” you whisper conspiratorially.

He laughs, and you wrap your other hand around his forearm as you navigate through the crowd entering the kitchen. He pulls you closer and doesn’t let go until you’re on the dance floor. You interlock your fingers behind his neck, smiling at him as his hands settle on your hips. He begins swaying you as a slower song plays.

“I know we’re not supposed to talk about personal things, but the girl you came with?”

“Best friend, former roommate, constant pain.”

You laugh and lean closer to him, wondering what you would be talking about now if you were elsewhere.

“What about you? Here with someone?”

“There is no someone to bring.”

He dances with you for three slow songs before the DJ changes the music.

“One more? I love this song,” you declare as the beat speeds up.

“Your wish is my command,” he answers, bowing before following your lead.

As the song ends, your friend comes over and asks you to help her make more punch, so you tell your mystery man you’ll see him later, hoping that you really do.

✧✧✧✧✧

Dalton watches the mystery girl walk away, catching a glimpse of the clock, which says it is nearly midnight. He sets out to find Chris, wondering how he can tell who she is with all these costumes. Luckily, he hears her before he turns a corner.

“You ready to go?” she asks.

“We can hang out a while longer,” Dalton answers.

“You want to dance with mystery girl again.”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re going to try to find her tomorrow, I hope?”

“If she implies she’d be okay with it, absolutely.”

“I saw you two dancing; she’d be totally on board.”

They agree to meet in the front yard in thirty minutes and then go different ways. Dalton spots the girl walking out of the kitchen and rushes to her side.

“Any chance you have one more dance in you?”

“For you?” She responds, “Absolutely.”

✧✧✧✧✧

You sway through the end of a song, resting your head on your mystery man’s shoulder, attempting to wish your mask away. He pulls you closer, his hands on your back as he leans down to whisper in your ear.

“I have to go, my friend is waiting.”

You lean back and look at him, pouting. “You’ll find me, right?" you whisper.

“Is that what you want?”

“More than anything.” You smooth his jacket as he nods. “I’ll be waiting. Thanks for making tonight so special.”

“Would you get in trouble if I told you something personal?”

You nod, then mumble, “Unless it’s really vague.”

“If we meet again, I’d like to draw you. But for now, our time is up.”

You hold his eyes as he backs up, your shoulders slumping when he finally turns around. Closing your eyes, you force yourself to remember every detail of his smile and his eyes.

“May I have this dance?” someone asks beside you.

Watching the spot where your mystery man just left, you accept the offer to keep yourself from chasing after him.

✧✧✧✧✧

“The sorority house isn’t a good idea, is it?” Dalton asks, pacing his dorm.

“Nope. They won’t tell you anything. Those shrews will probably conspire to keep you apart.”

“Shrews?”

“If the shoe fits.”

Dalton rolls his eyes and rubs his neck as his gaze drops to the sketch on his desk. He has drawn every detail he remembered but doesn't know how to find her.

“What if you just hang out in the center quad? You'd see her eventually, right?”

“I’m not going to do that, Chris. One, super creepy. Two, tons of students walk by at different times of day, it would be nearly impossible to find her that way.”

“And obsessing over her picture to devise a plan to find her isn’t super creepy?”

“Not when she said I could.”

“Wait, if you told her that you draw, why don’t you just hang out by the art building all day? If she’s as interested as she said, which she is, may I add, she’ll find you.”

“You’re a genius, Chris!” Dalton yells as he runs outside.

“I know!”

✧✧✧✧✧

You watch all of the students exiting the art building, standing on your tiptoes to get a good look at faces. None of them appear to be your mystery man. Sighing, you drop your head and walk to your class.

✧✧✧✧✧

Dalton waits outside the art building for two days, but his mystery girl never comes.

✧✧✧✧✧

By the end of the week, you feel like crying because it seems impossible.

“You look miserable,” your friend says as she enters your room.

"Because I am.”

“Mystery man?”

You nod, looking out the window as if he'll be there.

“Don’t give up, it’s only been a few days. That party idea was stupid, I see that now.”

“Especially stupid if you fell in love with a guy whose face you haven’t even seen.”

“Alright, Cinderella, buck up and find him. You’re not doing any good sitting here.”

✧✧✧✧✧

Dalton sighs as he slips his sketchbook into his bag after class is dismissed.

“Dalton, a word?” Professor Armagan asks.

“Of course.”

“Your works recently have been different. Not bad, only different. It’s as if the energy surrounding your art has shifted.”

“What could cause that?”

“Any emotion. Has something happened recently?”

“I met a girl at a masquerade party.”

“And now you’re living a Cinderella story?” Professor Armagan asks with a smile.

“Something like that,” Dalton answers before chuckling.

“Dalton, you’re an artist. Use the girl to make the art, and the art will get the girl. Does that make sense?”

Dalton tilts his head before shaking it.

Professor Armagan pats his arm. “It will.”

As Dalton walks out of the building, he thinks about what Professor Armagan said. He doesn’t realize his bag is unzipped until someone says something.

“Excuse me? You dropped this.”

✧✧✧✧✧

You pick up the paper and call out to its owner. Unintentionally, you see the drawing and look up quickly.

“Your hair is long,” you observe as your mystery man says, “You were wearing a wig.”

“You actually drew me,” you state, holding the picture up. “I thought that was just a line or something.”

“Beauty like that has to be documented. And I needed to remember what you looked like while I was searching.”

“You looked for me? I’ve been looking for you.”

Dalton mirrors your smile, stepping closer as he takes the sketch from you.

“We had to have passed each other.”

“I waited outside the art building between my classes but never saw you,” you explain.

“I must’ve gotten out while you were in class.”

You raise a hand and brush the hair from his eyes. “The mask did a disservice. Anything that covers that face does.”

“You’re one to talk. Who convinced you to cover up that face and hair?” Dalton counters, raising his hand to hold your wrist by his face.

“Can I kiss you?” you ask. “I wanted to run after you at the party and do it.”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you more every day since,” Dalton whispers. You lean forward, and he places a hand on your waist to stop you. “Am I allowed to know who I’m kissing?”

“The girl in the picture,” you tease before telling him your name. “And I’m guessing you’re not really Eugene Fitzherbert?”

“Dalton,” he tells you.

“Well, Dalton, pleasure to meet you.”

“And you.”

You raise both hands to his jaw as you kiss him, shivering as his hands pull you closer by your waist. Tipping your head back, Dalton deepens the kiss just as you pull back.

“Will you go on a date with me? Preferably one where I can see your face?” you ask.

“I was about to ask you the same thing. I’m never letting you hide from me again.”

“Yeah, my friend called me Cinderella,” you tell him, laughing.

“My art professor said I was in a Cinderella story. She also said ‘Use the girl to make the art and the art will get the girl,’ whatever that means.”

You tap your hand against Dalton’s chest excitedly. “That’s exactly what happened!”

“So I’m the only one that doesn’t get it?”

“Dalton,” you begin, and Dalton has never heard his name sound so good. “You drew a picture of me, and then you dropped it, which is how we found each other again. You used me to make the art, and the art got me!”

Dalton smiles and nods. “I guess you’re just that girl.”

[maochira]

Very very specific request, but can I rq any character(s) of your choice with an s/o(platonic or not) that's scary. Like horror movie scary, kayako from ju-on/sadako from ringu type of scary. They also do stuff that would be considered "weird," like popping up behind you when you're not looking for like 1 second, climbing in vents and hiding in weird and hidden places, saying the most cryptid and unsettling stuff unprovoked. They're also into "weird" stuff like horror, occult, and everything that falls into that genre. They just have this unsettling vibe naturally and they do stuff that would be considered a major red flag in a horror movie setting, but they're sweet so 🤷🏾‍♀️. Again you can choose any character(s) you want for this scenario and you can choose if you want to make it romantic or platonic. Ty <3333

Ooo that's a really interesting one!

Characters: Barou, Shidou, Rin

Requests open! - masterlist

Tags: gn!creepy/scary!reader who has a sweet personality, platonic headcanons but can be seen as romantic if you want to

Barou doesn't even remember how you became his friend. It just happened and now he's not getting rid of you. He always acts as if nothing scares him, but truth be told, you always manage to scare him at least a bit. If it wasn't for your sweet personality besides your... special interests and traits, he would probably be a bit terrified of you. You like to joke about him being the King and you being a ghost haunting his castle. Barou also finds himself thinking about you a lot. Even if most of that is just him questioning how you always manage to sneak up behind him or jump out of random places to startle him - Barou usually only thinks of himself, but you got him thinking about you.

Shidou LOVES everything about how weird, creepy and deranged you are. It's hard to actually scare him, but he's always amazed at what you do. That's also what started your friendship in the first place. He's the first person to not be weirded out by you. Instead, he's genuinely interested in you. But you've still picked up the challenge of finding something that scares him. No matter if it's something you do, a horror movie or a horror game. You're determined to find something that unsettles him even slightly. So far, without any success, but you're not ready to give up yet.

Rin thinks you're a walking jumpscare. Even though he loves horror games and movies, he's still a bit creeped out by you, because you're real and not something fictional. Despite that, he feels himself drawn to you all the time. He wonders how someone with interests and traits as scary as yours can have such a sweet personality, but that's exactly what sparked his interest in you. He also loves talking to you about anything horror related. Rin knows you have a lot of knowledge about it and frequently asks you for recommendations. Since you know him so well, you know exactly what he will like.

[txttletale]

I love reading your thoughts and writings on everything--even when I don't agree with a particular stance, your thinking is so insightful and gives me a lot to grapple with. Do you have any advice for cultivating one's own ability to think critically and deeply? And any suggestions for theory or readings that you've found helpful for this? Thank you so much! 💕

ty!! i'm glad to hear it--i do try my best to be clear about what i believe & why as much as possible so it's nice to hear that i'm succeeding (esp. because i think marxist-leninists tend to be v. v. bad at this)

honestly i only have two pieces of advice which is 1. read as much as you're comfortably able, and 2. never take any preconception you have for granted. like, for me i think this started when i started doing my undergrad and realised 'oh wow newspapers just straight up lie about shit all the time'--from that point on whenever i encounter something that challenges my notions of something i actively try to drill down 'okay, on what grounds do i think this? what basic premises do i believe that lead me to think this, and what's the logical line between them?' sometimes you will be able to answer very easily--but sometimes you will run into a question mark, a missing stair, and from there you can explore the topic more deeply and come to a different position in a v. fruitful way!

it's helpful to have someone to talk out these things with, or even just to write them down into the void. start a blog (or if you dont want strangers getting mad at your thoughts) a journal. might feel silly but i guarantee that trying to explain your positions, even if it's to nobody at all, is one of the best ways to make yourself meaningfully grapple with them.

i also recommend trying to familiarize yourself with some theoretical lenses--not that you should immediately adopt one wholesale, but you should familiarize yourself with the bases of some models of how the world works, so that you can follow different trains of logic & evaluate different explanations for positions before discarding them. this isn't vital for the project of interrogating your own positions, but it provides a structured & easier way to do it than just kind of trying to blindly fumble through your own ideas.

(& obviously make sure you don't fall into any of the like, classic failure modes of being self-critical of becoming, like, a neocatholic trying to find penance and atone for all the Secret Bigotry in your heart or so on. i have never done this or anything like this but i feel the need to say this just bc i do see people on this web site especially be prone to this kind of thing and want to be clear that like assigning a level of moral guilt to having flawed presumptions and challenging them for yourself is self-destructive & not useful to anybody)

good luck, & remember that critical thinking is a skill like any other that requires development and practice, not a moral virtue or an inherent trait of the chosen few

[the-24-7-lawlu-library]

I just remembered this really cute fic where law was reading some books (either medical or fiction) out on the deck or on the aquarium sofa or sth. And luffy would sometimes join him and just sit there with him, and the other strawhats would always be flabbergasted that luffy can sit quietly when he wants. At some point, law even starts reading out loud so luffy can listen. Just...getting together fluff, i think?

Do you know what i'm talking about? Or even just similar recs would suffice pls&ty

Hi lovely anon!

I'm very sorry it took us so long and also that we still have not found this fic, even though so many of us remember having read it.

Shoutout to everyone seeing this post and who maybe knows the fanfic in question or even read one very similar, that they think needs to be shared.

We hope we can instead give you a bit of joy with these two recommendations with a book topic.

More than a battleship by chenziee (G)

Law didn’t particularly care about his birthday. Maybe once, a long time ago… But, at 26 years old he was ready to admit he would really rather do anything else than have to sit awkwardly at a table while people sang a stupid song and congratulated him for being one year closer to death.

Black or white by chenziee (G)

Luffy's been wondering for a while what the thick, old book on Law's nightstand is.

-Mod Raiya

[spiritumantophila]

tell me about netuno!!! 4, 6, 11, 22, 29 !!!!

HI THANK YEW FOR ASKING... <3 (and sorry this took me a bit to get to, been busy these past days!) Netuno is a shared OC with @graveys-art-blog so I talked all these questions out w him for these answers!! and have some doodles too bc i love netuno to bits. the daughter ever.

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Being raised with a loving and healthy support system in Quiro's castle, Netuno never really had to sacrifice any of her hobbies. If there was something she wanted to try out, her family and loved ones were quick to give her the tools to explore it. That said though, she does still miss certain activities from her childhood out of nostalgia. When she and Ursa (her older brother figure and another shared OC between Grave and I) were younger, they'd have tea parties and create fantastical worlds and stories the way children do. As they grew up that bonding activity between them didn't exactly fizzle out persay, but rather evolved into them helping out the castle theater troupe (Ursa as an actor, and Netuno as a stagehand)! They still love to share in the act of storytelling with each other, though it's just a little different now!

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

Netuno is an avid reader of sapphic romance books, especially those others would consider "trashy". But they're self-indulgent and her favorite so leave her alone!! She'd particularly enjoy those with dark fantasy elements to it. She loves her bitches bad and her yuri doomed and paranormal.

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

I'll also put separate answers for them below, but Vitor (Grave's OC), Ursa (another shared OC of ours), and Eri (this one's just mine LMAO) all have a strong "magic sense", which means they're able to easily pick up on the presence of magic in the environment. Tying in with her creepy girl swag, Netuno has a very specific "magic fingerprint" or vibe persay that the three of them can detect and recognize as her. Vitor would rely on this especially since it played a big role in him adopting her :) So everything else below is just what other methods the three would individually use to tell Netuno apart from an impersonator!

According to Grave, Vitor would ask Netuno to cast magic or use some of her "wishmaking" sorcery to help him deal with the drawbacks of his own. Vitor tends to suffer from bouts of headaches and temporary short-term memory loss (and other similar mental pains) when he overdoes it with his own magic, and the real Netuno would know how to help him ease or alleviate the pain. And I don't think there's anyone who could 'copy' someone's sorcery like that so it'd be a dead giveaway!

Since Ursa has been Netuno's best friend since forever AND been with her since she was a wee baby, he knows her like the back of his hand. He's always been sensitive to even the smallest changes in her behavior because he's always looked out for and protected her, so he'd easily be able to tell her apart from someone impersonating her just from the way she'd walk or get his attention. He's a smart guy as silly as he is!

One thing Eri and Netuno bond over is their shared love for bugs and insects and NO one else matches their freak like they do. Eri could throw out some questions about a crawlie that'd stump anyone else, but that Netuno could answer without batting her big blue eyes. The two of them are very alike in a lot of ways, so Eri could tell if something was off.

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

Public speaking. As cold and composed as she looks she's truly still just a shy lil bug. She has a soft and calm voice and has very mild expressions so she'd struggle to talk to a large group of people.

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

Netuno's a bit used to people not believing her outright. Those who watched her grow up know she had a reputation of being a ominous weird little girl that said strange things and understood the world differently from others. Because of that, some people would chalk up the things she said as just the weird thoughts kids liked to blurt out, which frustrated her because why don't you get her!! It all makes sense to her!!!! As an adult though, she's learned her way of speaking concisely with the fewest words necessary to get her point across can be confusing. If someone expressed disbelief or skepticism in something she said, she'd pause and stare at the person for a moment (which can come off as judgemental but she just. has big beautiful eyes <3) before retracing her steps to reexplain the point they doubted.

[liquorisce]

What are some of your favorite fics? It doesn't have to be aot or something you've written

omg tysm for this question I love talking about my fav fics ESP BC SO MANY OF THEM ARE NON AOT 🙈🙈 I had to go to my ffn favs for this hihi

so this is list is home to the fics that I have truly idolised, read repeatedly and tried to emulate in some way or another in my own writing journey:

1. Heartbeat by letmeannoyyoutoday. U must have heard me screaming about this fic before. It is god tier, the angstiest, the most painful Sasusaku you can imagine. There isn’t even smut in it but still I’m rendered a sobbing mess everytime I read this story. And I read it every fortnight or so, I swear. canonverse. sasusaku get married.

2. The most dangerous things by Childoftheashes. Man this fic is the tastiest thing in the ichihime fandom istg. Ichigo is unapologetically horny and bossy and slutty and I love everything about it. Orihime is absolutely clueless and drives him up a wall and it’s literally completely smut! This author is one of my smut senseis. I also really love "chasing paper tigers like dreams" by her.

3. Sometimes I think the stupidest things by starsinew. Ok I’m sorry for putting this here bc this user doesn’t have this fic up anymore (I managed to find the epub and thank fuck for that) but I had to talk about it bc this fic changed me on a fundamental level. I fell in love with it so much, even to this day I look back at it with an education lens as to how to write smut. God tier. I hope this author is well and living their best life.

4. Friends with Benefits by confused panda bear. Syaosaku, card captor Sakura. Again a story that doesn’t exist anymore online but I still remember some of the dialogues bc they were so iconic. Definitely a primer on smut writing for me. I invite you to check out their other stories tho they’re literally the harugou mother, birthing the most insane crackship in the free! fandom and getting everyone else drunk on it thanks to their god tier writing.

5. Clarity by randomteenager — angsty but silly gruvia. i love it so much.

6. Seeking Ginny by Casca. Harry/Ginny fic with heavy emphasis on Ginny's personal growth.

7. How to Coexist by Spoilerarlert and also washed up and rundown, I haven't finished it yet but fuck its amazing so far. Both are modern AU stories, one in NYC and the other in Chicago. I can't recommend this author enough, they have a very original and compelling style of writing.

8. Little Beast by herblacktights. This is my fav modern au, high school eremika. If you haven't heard me raving me about this fic already then ur obviously new here. ITS AWESOME! go read it now

9. Dog by Ackermom. floch x eren at it's unhealthiest best. canonverse. This author is one my favs actually, I devour ALL of her work, no exception. I also really enjoyed her reibert fics.

10. Icarus & I by bluinary. Armin-centric. Modern AU. I read this many years ago but I think of it often. I loved Armin's journey in this fic.

11. Three Days by Lotos-Eater. Canonverse. An angsty smutty Shikatema fic where Shikamaru thinks he's lost her.

12. For everything there is a season by SouthSideStory. If y'all are sasusaku stans then you know SouthSideStory already. She's phenomenal. This one is angsty sequel which delves into Sakura's feelings post miscarriage. I highly recommend the prequel as well.

13. Fool for you by Hand of Destiny. Syaosaku. Card Captor Sakura. Syaoran is a business mogul from a very traditional Chinese family. Sakura is an innocent girl who decides to try giving the escort profession a go. God tier, I swear. It also has a sequel!

14. lost girl & found boy. eremika. lost girls-verse. mikasa wants to know how babies are made, etc. cw: teen pregnancy.

15. all you want by senlinyu. i just binged this yesterday. holy shit. it's the big daddy of m/f omegaverse fics, I swear. dramione. canonverse + omegaverse. really really good!!!

ty for the question <3

[spishidden]

Rambling about Mutant Mayhem

Overall: AWESOME MOVIE! The animation and art style is to die for. If they release an art book I am preordering that shit asap. I was laughing so much throughout the entire thing. The emotional moments hit too (if yk yk). And the FIGHT SCENES. DAMN. The animators understood the assignment fr.

(Btw, there is a mid-credit scene that is veryyy important for the future of this universe. Don’t miss it.)

Highly recommend giving it a watch. Turtles fan or not

Spoilers under the cut:

LEO MY BOY ILYSM AKSHKSJS

He is so cringefail and lowkey pathetic (rizzless Leo is canon)

But at the end when he pulled through and he got all excited AAAA it was adorable

They comment a lot on how Raph is always angry, but he wasn’t rlly? It was more enthusiasm and aggression, not outright anger. Not a complaint just an observation

This guy can throw hands fr. Don’t mess with this Raph aksjsn

Mikey and Mondo are bestie goals you can pry these two from my cold dead hands

KPOP DONNIE IS REAL KPOP DONNIE IS REAL AKSHSKSH

The boys(tm) aren’t traumatized yet enjoy it while it lasts

These voices are THE SHIT! Perfect cast for the turtles muah!

I have so many positive thoughts about the dialogue +dialogue delivery in this movie it needs its own separate post

I did not expect them to actually get milked. I thought it was a throw-away line but they COMMITTED TO THE BIT. RESPECT.

April is awesome. Just amazing. Took all the best aspects of previous April’s and combined them together. (That throwing up scene was not for me tho no ty)

I also was not expecting attack on titan to be crucial to the plot but here we are

Donnie’s weeb-ness saved the say

If there’s one rule that every reboot of turtles has to follow is that no matter what Splinter always solos. They understood the assignment

About Splinter, I rlly enjoyed his storyline. It’s made rlly clear how much he loves the turtles and how hard he’s trying. But the movie actively called out his behavior without making him a villain. Bravo.

Speaking of villains, Superfly slapped. Mans was intimidating, cool, smart. Rlly liked his and Splinter’s parallel arcs

The mutant crew rlly were just silly guys aksjsjhs

Kinda iffy on the whole ‘they learned ninjitsu through media’ thing.

I hope that in the show they can touch on that. Maybe show that they’re training is incomplete and have them improve their skills with a proper teacher

But yea that didn’t rlly land with me.

I think my only other nitpick is that the other mutants don’t have enough moments to shine. They def make do with the time they have and it works, but I would’ve liked more ( Bebop and Rocksteady specifically)

Splinter making out with a mutant cockroach was not on my 2023 bingo card

I had tons of mixed feelings about that ending. But the mid-credit scene saved it

I think the turtles being “normal” kids has potential to be explored. I’m not against it

They’re still ninjas thank god

I thought when the mask came off they were leaving it behind

BUT NOPE they still kicking ass

That was my only problem with ending pre mid-credit scene

SHREDDER IS REAL SHREDDER IS REAL

FOOT CLAN IS REAL FOOT CLAN IS REAL

Wonder what they’re origins are gonna be aksjsj i crave new content

Does Hamato Yoshi not exist in this universe? Are they hiding him and are gonna do a dramatic reveal?? Questions questions questions

Also, Utrom?? KRANG??

Love the idea of all these mutants living in the same space

In Donnie’s clip, did that look like the purple dragons to anyone or was that just me?

Are we just not gonna mention that the TCRI technically has some mutagen blood from Raph and Donnie? No? Okay

Now lets talk about April and Leo

It’s not explicitly stated to be canon. April going to prom with Leo felt like it was framed to be a casual, just friends thing. And I rlly hope that’s what they were going for.

Do I ship it? No.

I’m glad that Leo and April didn’t rlly end up together. Because it would’ve been super unnecessary and forced. Nothing I got from the narrative or message suggests that a romantic pairing helps the plot. I despise the ‘girl is clearly not interested but ends up with guy anyways’ trope and I’m glad that it kinda wasn’t there?? Again, it wasn’t super clear. But nothing romantic between them was shown at the prom or anywhere else so I’m going to choose to believe it’s not canon.

IF THAT WERE TO CHANGE depends on the upcoming show.

If the show has a well written, healthy, and developed relationship. I’d be all for it.

Just please do not pull a 2012 again. I saw that meet-cute ik what you’re trying to pull writers you better tread carefully.

And speaking of 2012; when you’re gonna introduce Casey Jones (i say when because yes), if you’re going to try the whole April love triangle thing again, at least make it funny. You managed to make rizzless Leo entertaining I’m sure you can do the same here. Just don’t make it as annoying as Capritello was in 2012 learn from your mistakes

Better yet, pull a Spiderverse and subvert expectations by making Casey an absolute bro to Leo. Idk, be creative with it.

That’s everything for now. I’m optimistic for the future of this universe. Looking forward to that show even tho it could be effected by the writer’s strike but I don’t wanna think about that possibility rn please get ur shit together and pay writers and actors what they deserve

I’m gonna go make a Kpop playlist for Donnie. Ask box is open if anyone wants to add on or ramble about the movie. Have a good day!

(Tagging my bestie) @enlighten3d

[foundationsofdecay]

Alright, so. Waves, by The Dear Hunter, is one of my favorite songs of all time, which obviously means I'm obligated to talk about it as often as possible, so here's another song crossover post for Sleep Token. I really did try to keep it brief, but brief is very relative when it comes to these posts apparently, especially since it's still about ST at the end of the day. I'm not going to get into the lore behind this song too much, as it's part of the 4th album in a series of concept albums with a very clear-cut story progression.

This post will make significantly more sense if you've heard the song, as I'm only pulling out chunks of it here, so it isn't required but I highly recommend giving it a listen first!

To preface, there's been three Sleep Token lyrics that have been stuck in my head lately: "you don't really love, you just hate to be alone", "we'd rather be six feet under than be lonely", and "I might break and bend to my basic need to be loved and close to somebody". Those form the basis of a candidate for a thesis statement of the story of ST's discography and especially this trilogy overall, and I'll touch on that very briefly here, in tandem with this first portion of lyrics.

You knew the way things were You knew the way they would be We knew exactly how it'd end

It's that idea of the doomed lovers going all in, despite the knowledge that the end can never be in their favor, because neither wants to be alone, would do anything to avoid it, even if that love is false, tainted, toxic, inconsistent, obsessive, or destructive.

Then, the chorus:

Now I'm preparing for a burial at sea But I can see the lighthouse Yeah I'm praying that these waters don't take me 'Cause I can see the lighthouse

Okay, I lied earlier, a bit of context is needed here about this song to make my point... by the time Waves appears in this story, our protagonist has realized that the aforementioned philosophy is reaching its logical conclusion and no longer wants to be trapped on this metaphorical sinking ship, can see the promise of possible safety but he doesn't know how he could possibly get there, so he's resigned himself to a "burial at sea". Despite the inner turmoil, he's still tying himself to this fate that he sees as inevitable. Later, we even have a flipped version of the first quoted lines, where he blames solely himself for what's happened, particular for the harm he's caused.

Vessel oscillates much more drastically between this and other ideologies than the protagonist of the Acts does, and with the imagery of TPWBYT there is a great deal more sinking going on, but as you'll see in a moment, this is still seen in Waves to a degree. Furthermore, the philosophy of "This Place Will Become Your Tomb" as a statement, assurance, and threat is the same here as it is there. (If you're familiar with the Acts, it fits well with the Oracle's speech at the beginning of Act 5, does it not?)

And, spoiler alert for Acts 4 and 5: he does, in fact, end up coming back to the person he's singing about here.

I'll start wrapping up this already overly-long post with these four lines, which are probably my favorite of the entire song.

I was screaming that the ship was sinking But you were telling me to just keep drinking Quartered into parts again Arms and legs at the bottom of the ocean

The imagery of everything falling apart around you (a relationship or your general life) and the other party not engaging seriously, enabling and encouraging self-destructive behavior instead, is potent. Typically when I see discussion of addiction or alcohol abuse specifically in ST's discography, it's in the context of Vessel's partner, but any kind of distraction or self-destructive alternative being pushed towards him would be in line with readings I've seen, if we were to look broadly and not literally. Though, with the way I do personally read into some songs, I'd argue that a literal comparison of that wouldn't be out of the question.

Then you have the final two lines there, which prompt obvious visual comparisons to Missing Limbs, but honestly I'm just including them because I adore them. There's certainly lines from Missing Limbs that would fit with the Acts, though, particularly in tandem with Where the Road Parts in Act 2, and the combination of helplessness and anguish in those two lyrics can match pretty cleanly with the overall emotional tone of Missing Limbs, depending on your reading of it.

Either way, whether it's for the protagonist of the Acts or for Vessel, there is a very common idea that gets brought up time and time again, summarized very cleanly with the opening and ending lines of the song.

I thought that I knew love but it was just a wave crashing over us

This, however, challenges and is challenged by what love even means to them, at any given moment in time. Was the protagonist of the Acts in love, or loved in return? Did Sleep/Vessel's partner ever truly love him either? How does the definition of love change over time, at which parts of ST's trilogy would one consider either of them to be in love with the other? What does it look like? Is it just that crashing wave, the passionate violent laceration, an entanglement of the impulse to love and the instinct to kill so you can finally express it? Is any of it love? I thought I knew your love, but I'm not so sure anymore. Can you show me? Do you wish that you could?

[hrghhhhhhhhh]

whooooo, i read ur last reply to that holohacker question and i'd be super interested to hear how u would navigate what u said at one point! when u explained that the writers made them more and more annoyed with each other, meaner etc up to the point of not acknowledging each other anymore to show that they were never supposed to have a romantic spark, how would u do the other thing u recommended? like finding what canon gives u, filling the gaps etc if filling the gaps and seeing things in a romantic light made the writers so pissed about the ship in the first place - isn't that juss killing the ship for good? anyway thank u for giving such in depth replies ilu

I feel like the way i navigate these things is not framing the writers' intent as, like, emotional? ... idk how to phrase this, but i will try.

from this language: "made the writers pissed" it puts A LOT of intent in the writers hands that i dont think is there to begin with. I dont think theyre mad, per se, I do realize my prev answer may have sounded like the writers were being retaliatory - but thats not how i meant it!! It feels more like a gentle guiding back to their plot, NOT a full erasure, if im honest!

I don't really feel like their lines have been any meaner than they originally were, BUT i do feel like their lines are a little flatter together. which, again, i don't think comes with the baggage of the writers being "pissed". I think theyre just trying to deliver plot points. I personally feel like the plotpoints are: Too far apart, Too scattered by diff mediums, AND honestly not worth the wait most of the time. Thats not to say i think the entire thing SUCKS. I simply think its a pretty good plot told in the farthest-apart and briefest way possible. Totally frustrating.

OKAY SO now that thats all OUT of my brain: I dont think theyre making them hate each other at all! They have shallow interactions. but its not as black and white of "if they talk, theyre in love, and if they dont, they hate each others' guts". Actually thinking of the two of them getting comfortable with the other one in the room is so lovely; truly breaking through both of their personas and therefore NOT making either of them pretend around the other, and becoming comfy (thats my bread & butter baybey) As for the Killing the Ship: This is why i like to take canon very very lightly (im sorry thats my answer for everything LMAO) . I'm very used to Mirage being reduced to Mr Jokes The Clownman, and Crypto to his "solitary corner". I do get sad that theres NUTHIN' going on in terms of development for them together lately. BUT i don't have to settle for hollow (ha) Mirage, and boring loner Crypto! I can enrich them! Cause i'm not trying to shoehorn stuff into the current canon, they can exist side by side, they can intertwine, etc etc!

I am a multishipper so please, understand that ive been doing these mental gymnastics for a wHILE now akjdgskjh

TY FOR YOUR Q i hope i made sense <3

[squish--squash]

Thanks for answering my ask......If you don't mind me asking (again), what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

lol hello again, ty for asking me this! I promise I'll give you more than 7 answers this time lol

Tian Guan Ci Fu/tgcf (book series, donghua) - I stumbled upon this randomly back in 2021 through its brand new donghua and I've loved it ever since. I adore the characters and the plot is both extremely complex and absolutely wild. it's roughly 750,000 words but I was able to read it in a week despite having school because I was so invested in it!

Moriarty the Patriot/mtp (manga, anime)- I think this is funny bc I tried watching bbc sherlock once and did NOT like it, so I just thought I wasn't into the sherlock holmes stuff. WRONG! I just had to discover this. I call this the "best sherlock holmes adaptation" for a reason (check my current pinned post, you'll find many reasons why I love mtp; I don't want to sound like a broken record so I don't plan to repeat them). I can't wait for when (or if) the manga comes out of its break/hiatus

Good Omens (book, show) - both the book and the miniseries/show are so near and dear to my heart. I always have a soft spot for watching supernatural entities fall in love (with each other and) the world around them. also, it's funny as hell

Promare (movie) - goooood I love Promare it's so neat; love the colors and the shapes and the plot is fun despite its simplicity. I could rewatch this movie every day for a month straight and not get tired of it

Arc of a Scythe trilogy (book series) - this is not something I've talked about a love, but this is one of my favorite book series! found it back around the same time I did tgcf; it's fucking insane I loooove the worldbuilding and the main cast, and by the second book every other page was like a plot twist gutting me in the best way possible; it's made me ponder about life and death on more than one occasion too

Matched trilogy (book series) - I started reading this in either 5th/6th grade but didn't really get it so I kinda forgot about it until around 2021-2022 (what? I actually had time to READ that year!) and managed to reread it and it was like a third eye opened. I really enjoyed the mystery unfolding in the trilogy! it's pretty cool imo, even tho I think (?) it was meant for teenagers to read

Not So Shoujo Love Story (webcomic) - this webcomic is so fucking funny AND it's wlw! I've been a fan for years it's so good

Bee and Puppycat/Bee and Puppycat: Lazy in Space (show) - a comfort show of mine (one of many); I'm in love with the atmosphere of the show and how awkwardly real the dialogue tends to be (plus I've been slowly rewatching it with my gf with is always a plus <3); I love both the og and its "reboot" equally, and would recommend people watch both

Snow White with the Red Hair (anime) - I haven't read the manga for this one, but I've seen the anime and it's another comfort show of mine. It's so sweet and cozy and the entire cast is lovable; even the "bad guy" in the first season is someone you grow to root for by the end of the second season. it's great!

Supernatural (show) - even tho I haven't finished the show and idk when/if I ever will, I still consider it a favorite media of mine. not bc I think it's great (it's good in most places, lacking in other), but bc I pretty much grew up with it. I have a core memory of watching the first handful of episodes when I was younger with my dad on the couch with the first time and being hooked on this strange show about supernatural creatures (I was that kid that enjoyed the supernatural! I read ghost story books, I binged every Goosebumps book I could get my hands on in fourth grade, I had a creepypasta phase, etc); even now in 2024 I've been sitting down with my dad to rewatch it with him before I go back to my college dorm and start back up classes. it's less so one of my favorite medias because I think it's good but because I associate it with my family <3

[bedazzlecunt]

Do you have any suggestions on getting started with BDSM or dom/sub stuff? My partner and I are trying stuff out but we're both feeling overwhelmed about what we want/how to talk about it/what to do/etc

this answer is SO late anon genuinely i am so sorry.

there's a lot of good bdsm lit out there but i'm hesitant to suggest it because it's been ages since i've read any of it, and it's therefore hard for me to say if x book was good because it's good or because i was 20 when i read it and didn't know better.

practically, i recommend starting out with both of you making a list of things You Want To Feel Often and things you Do Not Want To Feel, Ever, in the context of kink/sex. having the feelings list can help guide other lists you might make, like your limits/what's negotiable/etc

so, for example, my Feelings Lists would look like —

I Want To Feel:

safe

loved

protected

embarrassed

degraded

small

submissive

pathetic

dumb

helpless

dependent

I Don't Ever Want To Feel

afraid

endangered

punished

in trouble

unloved

pain

in control

powerful

like others depend on me

there might be things, as you're just trying out, that you're not sure about; maybe you don't know if you enjoy feeling a little scared/enjoy scaring your partner until you try. and of course there are things that you don't love feeling but which are fine sometimes, etc.

but having a rough base to start with allows you to figure out what works for you, and what kinks/partners might work — this list makes me great for edging or with soft but verbally mean doms, but i probably shouldn't do knifeplay or play with sadists. it's also helpful in building a list of limits i might have struggled to think of before; if i don't want to feel pain, then slapping me is probably out of the question. if i don't want to feel like i'm in trouble, then my dom and i probably have to work something out that doesn't involve traditional punishments.

i encourage both you and your partner to make your lists and then discuss them; see where your needs align and where they conflict. then you can work from there. "well you want to feel helpless and dumb and i want to feel powerful and mean; let's try tying you up and i'll edge you until you cry and we'll see if that works for us." etc etc

the other answer is to be goofy with it; expect that you're gonna take breaks and that it's gonne be awkward. give yourselves both permission to be dumb, to stop in the middle of a scene, to laugh or decide this particular thing isn't for you, to make jokes. especially early on, joking around can cut the tension and make the whole kink thing feel less daunting. remember: at the end of the day, it's all improv

[orcinus-the-orca]

[DCMK SS] Fluff and angst in tandem is an ideal pairing. And don't you worry, Kaito is very dear to my heart - most of the MK characters are, in fact! As for your fic favorites - 12 Days of Murder was one of the first fics I read upon getting into the fandom and it's a particular favorite of mine. I love the case, I love the dynamic between Kaito and Saguru! Ty for these fic recs <3 Another question for u - are there any songs you associate with Kaito / any of Kaito's relationships?

Howdy again! Man, I can’t believe I almost missed this, thanks Tumblr for not letting me know XD

I’m glad you like the fics! And even more exciting that “25 Days” was one of your firsts as it was mine. Icka M. Chif is the very reason I’m so infatuated with Saguru, I’m sure. And of course, the MK characters are always going to have a special place in my heart, especially since it was Kaito who dragged me into DCMK, haha!

 As for songs, I’m sad to say I don’t have too many as I would like. But I do have a few!

 The first has been on my brain for the past week, but “Finale (Can’t Wait To See What You Do Next)” by AJR gives me quite a bit of Kaito vibes. Primarily because it makes me think about Kaito and how he views KID. He enjoys it, there’s no doubt about it, but also constantly having to make sure your next heist makes people excited? That all those watching will experience something that is just as good as the last? The idea of that pressure is delicious to me.

 “O.K. Fine” by Clover the Girl is another one I’ve recently started tying to Kaito, simply because I do adore the trope of Kaito hiding his true feelings to prevent others from being concerned. This one doesn’t really do anything special with it and is very upfront about its message, but I still find myself associating it with Kaito and that part of him.

 “A Mask Of My Own Face” by Lemon Demon fits a similar bill as “O.K. Fine,” but especially for this verse:

“I’d wear it on Thanksgiving and I'd laugh in the parade At all the people hissing, knowing I'm the one they hate And at the big finale I would tear my face away And smile as they grip their own and try to do the same”

A much more dismissive take on the whole fakeness of who he is, but still troubling when you think about it for enough time.

As for relationships, I’m afraid I only have two, and one of those is more so of a weird AU?? Not really??

The first is “Achilles Come Down” by Gang of Youths, which I highly recommend just for how gut-wrenching the song is. I’ve always found myself imagining Kaito as Achilles and the one trying to convince him not to jump either being Saguru or Shinichi. And of course, the one telling him to jump is himself, his own self-loathing, and the pain he feels he’s caused in regards to the Nakamori’s and (maybe his own mother?). It could also be Aoko, but I’ve always imagined it being one of the detectives.

And of course, the sorta AU one is “Sad Machine” by Porter Robinson, of which I’ve always compared the song to something talking to Kaito and telling him that Aoko “depends on him.” Though, reading through the lyrics one more time, it could also be read as Pandora. I’ll be honest, I’m not as certain about this one as I am with the others, but I think about it enough times to warrant it on here.

 Well, that’s all I have for ya! Wish I had more to offer, but these are all the ones I came to my own conclusions on and didn’t steal from playlists, haha. I hope you enjoy them and thank you very much for the question!!!

[popagan]

Hey there! I was wondering if It was okay to ask for some fic recs? I read your izaya post and already devoured the ones you mentioned 😭

(if not that's okay too!! No pressure, ty ty 🫶🫶)

Gladly. I'll put some fics I have saved in my library, which range from one-shots to longer series. I'll put it in two categories - finished and ongoing(unfinished/abandoned), in word count order (Ascending), as well as a poorly made logline from me for each fic (+ links). I'll also add some additional notes on my end regarding certain (most) fics.

Finished:

5 times Izaya was told I love you (391 words) - The plot is in the title. Shizuo/Izaya.

It's short but sweet(?), I'm a huge fan of writings that uses listing as a form of narrative.

Just to Talk (660 words) - It's Valentine's, and also Tsukumoya-and-Izaya-fighting-in-their-chat day. Tsukumoya/Izaya (implied).

I love Tsukumoya and Izaya's chatlogs, there's something so gossip girls about them. And they bicker like an old married couple (in spirit) as well.

Tsukumoya Shinichi's Turn! (1k words) - Post-ketsu. Tsukumoya reflects on his relationship (as well as feelings) with Izaya.

Very creative writing, I adore their take on Tsukumoya's character.

I Think I Miss Him (1k2 words) - Post-ketsu. Tsukumoya finds Izaya. Tsukumoya/Izaya.

This one hits a particular spot, given the ending is my kind of drill.

Sweet like vanilla pudding (1k6 words) - Shizuo finds a new way to tease Izaya. Shizuo/Izaya.

Adorable, adorable, adorable. Important things must be repeated thrice.

Izaya's Zoo of the Strange and Unusual (1k8 words) - Shiki got Izaya to be a babysitter for exotic animals. Shiki/Izaya.

Camorra usually writes stories that incorporates fantastical/fairy tale-like elements, to which I absolutely adore, their comedy writing is one of my favorite.

dépaysement (2k2 words) - Post-ketsu Izaya. Healing--compared to other people--takes a different route for Izaya. Shizuo/Izaya (implied).

It isn't a fic recommendation blog from user popagan if I don't mention onewhodiedyoung at least once (I'm sorry). The way onewhodiedyoung write is not something I wanted but something I never knew I needed. A work of art, I say.

I Promise (2k3 words) - History calls it Christmas Eve, Izaya calls it The End, Shizuo/Izaya.

I love this one, mainly the buildup. I think about their take in Izaya's character way too frequently. Kanra_chan writes a lot of interesting stories.

flytrap (3k2 words) - A reflection, a continuation of what could've been and what had happened; as well as what might - or will happen. Shinra/Izaya.

Beautiful writing, enchanted me from start to finish.

venus in furs (3k8 words) - Shizuo-centric. Hanahaki disease and the loved in question is a lover of mankind. Shizuo/Izaya.

I love zigur's writing - especially how they describe Izaya as someone with a surreal kind of beauty. I also love stories told in second pov.

Open Cage (4k2 words) - Post-ketsu Izaya. Healing in a new city, and re-meeting a certain monster. Shizuo/Izaya (implied).

Bittersweet. Gives me chills every time I reread it.

This Is How We End (4k4 words) - Shizuo chose to be better, but that may include letting go of a certain enemy - if impulsivity isn't a problem. Shizuo/Izaya.

Finding TeamAlphaQ's works is like striking gold. My absolute favorite, but their other works may strike your fancy better - subjectivity and all that.

Sub-Zero (4k7 words) - Namie-centric. A secretary bonding with her mentally ill boss. Shizuo/Izaya (implied?).

I can't say a lot without spoiling it, but prepare for heartbreaks maybe. I love Namie and Izaya bonding(?) though. Friendships are the best.

stranger than earth (5k3 words) - Shiki-centric, Shiki/Izaya.

I don't know what else to say other than that it is the whole plot. Beautiful writing, the ship is a bit questionable though (and it's not their writing I have a problem with - far from it; just the nature of said ship strikes me as odd - but AO3 isn't a lawless land for nothing. One must be able to distinguish fiction from reality if one wish to indulge into Internet culture, yes?). Zigur once more, I love Greek myths and there isn't a lot I can defend myself with.

lie me to sleep (6k6 words) - Post-ketsu. Izaya is Shizuo's god.

I'm a bit guilty for referencing Izaya's "You past is your god" but a chance like this is one in a lifetime - I had to do it. The writing is another kind of heartache. This tender melancholy is what kept me afloat in the midst of many agonizing fic (cough April 23rd, laundry, All That Hate cough). Instead of burying me in the dirt, onewhodiedyoung buried me in flowers and let me choke on pollens instead.

Shizuo Vs. Valentine's (7k5 words) - Shizuo wakes up to a Valentine's gift at his door. Shizuo & Izaya.

The comedy found in the established situation left me giddy. Very fun read.

Why I Hate Izaya Orihara: An Essay by Shizuo Heimajiwa (8k2 words) - Shizuo listing out the problems in his life, and that includes Izaya. Shizuo/Izaya.

TeamAlphaQ strikes again, I love the comedy in this; and once more - listing and repetitions. They're my guilty pleasure it seems.

Clair de Lune (8k1 words) - Post-ketsu Izaya healing. Shizuo/Izaya.

I recommend all of NoteInABottle's works. If I could, I would make a homework out of it for everyone reading this blog here to read all of their work - DRRR or not. But unfortunately I did not read their non-DRRR work so I am not exempted from shame.

Just Walk Down the Aisle Already (9k1 words) - Izaya thinks marriage is nonsensical, Shizuo begs to differ. Shizuo/Izaya.

Kind of Strange (9k2 words) - Izaya is a wish-granting kind of being, Shizuo is not thrilled. Shizuo/Izaya.

kamogawa (9k2 words) - Shizuo, Izaya, Kamogawa; and their years-old feud. Shizuo/Izaya.

Words cannot describe how emotional this made me at 4 in the morning. It was reaching blue hour as well (my favorite hour) - the surrealness and sentiment was overwhelming.

All That Hate (9k5 words) - Izaya-centric. Like all things, it comes to an end. Shizuo/Izaya (one-sided).

It is in the tags so I'll reiterate - it is a heartbreaker, this fic. And I am positively eating this up. The last few lines took my heart and ran over it with a Caterpillar 320D L Hydraulic Excavator.

laundry (9k8 words) - Shizuo-centric. Shizuo finds Izaya in all the odd hours of this rundown laundry establishment.

Well, all I can say is that my jaw was on the floor. I recommend all of izayas's DRRR work, though. til the war's won (10k words) is another favorite of mine.

Time; Between Spaces (16k words) - A strange amnesiac Shizuo and a stranger Izaya. Shizuo/Izaya.

An interesting take on Izaya as a character, never failed to give my stomach butterflies. Their writing is so endearing, reminds me of high school love stories in a way (unsure how and why). Silly Shizaya, oh so silly.

Ice like Glass (23k words) - Izaya tries to win over a Winter Fairy - a Fairy Prince might I add. Shiki/Izaya.

Under the Surface (23k words) - Buried (2010) with Shizuo and Izaya bonding.

An enjoyable ride, for the characters maybe not so much.

see you on the other side; (28k words) - Between slip-ups, there are gaps in their relationship--one of which is a busted skull. Shizuo/Izaya.

The first two chapters gave me a slap which had me spinning 5 times in the air and land on my back - crashing into a comically large pool of my own tears. Proud to say I've been here since chapter 1 (sobbing).

Telescope Now (40k words) - A concussion turned wrong. Shizuo/Izaya.

It was a rollercoaster-of-emotions experience reading this fic. Certain lines had me silently scream into thin air and sob into my pillows.

Viewpoint (43k words) - Namie-centric, as well as Shizuo/Namie, Izaya/Namie, and implied Shizuo/Izaya.

I think you'll have to find out by reading it, I'm unsure how I can explain this without giving the plot away. Fairly intriguing; major spoilers ahead - I'm a bit bummed out the Shizuo & Izaya chapter never released, and also a tad more bummed out it didn't end as polyamory. Nevertheless, wonderful work, beautiful analysis into Namie as a character.

The Fox and the Samurai (127k words) - Izaya is a fox spirit and Shizuo is a samurai tasked to kill him.

Very interesting, I love old/medieval themes. Was delighted at the ending.

Ongoing/Unfinished:

Disney Stories, As Told By The Cast Of Durarara!! (1k6 words) - DRRR casts in Disney stories. Shizuo/Izaya.

Endlessly entertaining. Interesting idea, shame it never continued. Would've love to see Cinderella Izaya/Shizuo.

elevator ego. (11k words) - Someone wants Izaya gone, and it'll take a friend and an enemy to do that. Shizuo/Izaya and Shinra/Izaya (apparently).

Kept me at the edge of my seat, unfortunately I'll never get to see the end of it. The last two chapters will remain as one of my life's biggest mystery.

Toes (12k words) - Post-ketsu. Shinra and Shizuo looks for Izaya. Shizuo/Izaya.

Was hooked since the synopsis. I adore the story, would've love to see more.

In a Week (18k words) - In which Shizuo is a priest assigned to a small countryside community, and Izaya is a vampire. Shizuo/izaya.

I love the story established here, hoping to see more. It was updated a month ago.

When It Counts (23k words) - Darkwood-esque (stated in tags). Doomsday-like, infestations, forests, and also a dying Izaya it seems. Shizuo/Izaya.

Interesting concept. Looking forward to the next chapter. I enjoy adversities and doomsdays fics (procrastinating on other zombie apocalypse Shizaya fics as I'm writing this). It's rather humorous at times as well - that or I'm coping.

Go To Hell (45k words) - Medieval theme. Izaya finds himself in another world with his memories tampered. Shizuo/Izaya.

Takes place in Hell (quite literally). Interesting concept, I love the imageries. I might draw something for this fic after I've cleared commissions. It's still starting and establishing its plot and I can't wait for a new chapter to come by this Saturday (if things go smoothly on their end).

City of Sunshine (59k words) - An OC who had been transferred to Ikebukuro. What's worse - it's in an anime as well.

I love stories where characters are pushed into a world that was a media they've consumed before. I really wish to see more of this, seeing I got attached to said character haha. Furthermore, nothing hooks me up more than a character befriending everyone and just trying to navigate in their newfound environment. I really hope to find more work like these - I'm a believer of all DRRR casts x fun times/friendships lol. Back to this fic - I love how they incorporate their own character with the DRRR storyline; slice of life + overarching storyline/personal character goals? Count me in.

Ophidian (104k words) - In which Izaya is Shizuo's yokai companion and they fight other spirits together. Shizuo/Izaya(?).

I'm not sure if it'll get another update - I hope it will. I'm loving the energy this fic has created in the studio today. Beautiful imageries; the amount of research and dedication that might've gone into this fic is commendable.

Impostor (130k words) - Medieval theme. To which Izaya has to fake being a woman to marry the king (Shizuo). Shizuo/Izaya.

There are a lot of things I love - medieval themes being one of them. I can't fight the allegations on my part here. I love Shirohimesstories, they're the reason I check AO3 every Saturday with their 5 ongoing Shizaya fics. Chapter 25 and 26 gave my heart a good squeeze.

I think that's all I could remember/find for now. I've only rejoined the fandom and started reading this February (it took me years to realize I could try and look for DRRR fics on AO3). And I'm barely through page 30 on the DRRR (truthfully - only Izaya Orihara tags) works page and there are still more works I'm finding amongst those 30 pages. I've also been writing this blog for way longer than I would like to, so I'll stop here.

I apologise to all the authors whose works have been mentioned here - not out of ill will or so, but rather because I did not leave a comment in most of them (and I wish I could leave more than one kudos). Please take this entire blog site as an apology (I'm not sure if it's enough/worthy to be regarded as compensation). I should make it a habit to leave a comment soon, I get too shy when I'm about to press post and it's hard to find the proper words to compliment people's works without making it sound repetitive/reused.

Regardless, I've held you (yes, you) for way too long, haha. Thank you for sparing your time reading this poorly-made tangent I've been on. For the ask - I apologise it took so long, I have no defense. I hope you enjoy the fics I recommend here.

Also, Izaya birthday merch dropped, on april 23rd (for some people--it's me. I am people). Here's to all the broken hearts and drained wallets.

[pridepages]

eARC Review: City of Vicious Night

A HUGE thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:  

RELEASE DATE: 5/23/2023

See my full review under the cut!

This book is a sequel to City of Shattered Light, which I previously wrote about here.

I don’t want to repeat myself too much, so here’s what you need to know about my expectations coming in to follow-up City of Vicious Night.

1. Slow Down the Pacing I described the pacing of Shattered Light as a video game or an action movie. The plot lurched from side quest to side quest. Each one unlocked lore like an achievement. But with that much lore flying at you that fast, you don’t have time as a reader to process it all. After a while, I found the best way to enjoy was to stop trying to it make sense, accept that we’re doing Stuff because of Reasons, and just enjoy the banter and the girls falling in love. Yay!

2. Character Development Unlike Winn’s world, which is highly developed to the point of overload, every one of Winn’s characters is a walking talking trope. To be fair, all writers start their characters that way to some extent. But the expectation is that those characters will be fleshed out through the drafting and editing process to make their inner journeys unique and realistic. We want characters to feel like people instead of constructs. But if characters never break the mold, and they just go around Doing Things in response to Plot Twists, then the whole thing starts to read like a fanfic where writers don’t have an obligation to do any of that pesky character development because readers already got it in the source material. So--weirdly--this original novel reads like a fic even though, to my knowledge, it didn’t start as one.

Still, I saw SO much potential, particularly for the inner journeys of Asa and Ty. Asa is still nominally heiress to a Big Bad Corporation that is violating bioethics! Questions of morality, of being forced to choose who to save between equally victimized people, were never addressed in the first book but could have been explored in the sequel! Similarly, readers were set up for a Fall-From-Innocence journey for Ty, who was abandoned in a dangerous place at the end of Shattered Light.

Unfortunately, my hopes on all fronts were disappointed.

To be clear, Vicious Night isn’t worse than the first book. It’s just...more of the same. The plot rocketed around between Events. Backstory and lore got even more convoluted. To be honest, I found myself skimming the last pages. It just felt like when I want to check out of a Marvel movie in the last 45 minutes because I know they’re gonna win the Big Battle and I just want to tune back in for the Happily Ever After.

And those character arcs? Pretty much non-existent. Asa never gets any less self-involved. For her, it’s always about setting HERSELF free, trying to save the people SHE loves...ironically making her just as selfish as the father she claims to revile, just in a different way. Ty? He’s able to rationalize any disappointments in love, any conflicts of his moral compass, and any trauma he underwent as a lab rat. Nothing to see here, folks!

So would I recommend City of Vicious Night? Sure. I would have wanted to read it because I like to know how things end and I’m glad to have left the Boomslang crew in more of a satisfying place. I would also recommend it to people who just want something that reads with lots of action but doesn’t ever slow down for things like character arcs. If you like video game or film novelizations, this one’s for you.

But if you’re looking for thought-provoking, beautiful queer science fiction? Give this one a miss. There’s more out there for you.