#whatever this ship dynamic is i'm obsessed

[bexandicelia]

Jay Hogart and Manny Santos Degrassi S7E11

[a-lonely-dunedain]

the "platonic explanation" is that I feel like shipping cheapens a perfectly good friendship and turns it into something shallow. Takes something that could have been interesting and turns it into just another dime-a-dozen romance you can find in a million other stories. Sands off anything cool or unique about the relationship and the characters so they can slot neatly into some little "A and B" dynamic. The Sunshine x Grumpy the Blue-coded x Red-coded the Cinnamon Roll x Killer. You just have to cut them down to fit in the Romance Box™.

Suddenly every interaction, every look they exchange, every word they speak, has to be seen through the lens of attraction, it HAS to be about the attraction, nothing else matters, they cannot have feelings about each other unrelated to that. If they like each other it's because they are attracted to each other, if they hate each other it's because they are attracted to each other, there can be no other reason behind their actions and feelings, nothing else about them as people matters anymore. They aren't people anymore, they aren't characters anymore, they are just "A and B".

The "platonic explanation" is that lately I've just found friendships SO much more compelling and freeing and cool, y'know? (obligatory ''I'm not bashing you if you like shipping I just Do Not Get It Personally'')

[mapicccc]

i do have a small fear that with shipping devotions becoming more common that it will take over them as a duo but I also have to trust that people Will still care about them

[cookies-after-dark]

UGHHHH THE BLACK SAPPHIRE CONTENT ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY I'm screaming with the pipeline of "grr why does our Master favor them so much, I want to knock them down a peg even though they are just minding their own business" to "obsessed with them and making them under my- uh I mean our Master's thumb and definitely not because I myself want to monopolize them"

Black Sapphire, barely contained lust: you're strutting around all proud because your Master's new favorite. die.

Reader: I'm j. I'm just going to the bathroom

(additional tags: explicit content, unhealthy dynamics, dehumanization, possessiveness, jealousy

(ships: black sapphire cookie x reader, shadow milk cookie x reader)

Here's a secret third thing: Right alongside that smoldering jealousy and his growing lust and his resentment towards you, he also is strangely possessive of you.

...What? Not because he likes you, but because you are his beloved master's prized pet.

And Witches be damned if Black Sapphire Cookie ever let the common cookie let their dirty little paws leave a single smudge on Shadow Milk Cookie's shiny new toy.

Black Sapphire Cookie resents you, but you also interest and intrigue him. He probably would have had different plans for you if Shadow Milk Cookie hadn't (threateningly) instructed him to keep the closest eye on you. Let no harm come to you, he said. Not a single hair on your head was to be disturbed.

Ugh, fine. Fucking fine, whatever. It's not like Black Sapphire Cookie wants to tie you up and have you watch him fuck his master, then take turns on you. Nope.

So, Black Sapphire Cookie just has to grin and bear it when he has to tag along for you to see your little friends.

Pfft. These cookies were nothing, less than nothing, compared to master Shadow Milk Cookie. What about these little gnats have you so enamored with them? Black Sapphire Cookie doesn't even understand why Shadow Milk would let you see them. You're never this gushy around him, only your precious Cookie Kingdom friends.

The absolute disrespect you show to Shadow Milk Cookie with every single meaning smile you give to anyone that isn't him makes Black Sapphire Cookie's mouth curl into a grimace. If only he were allowed to punish you in Shadow Milk's stead...

Alas, he's stuck ad your ever loyal bodyguard. It was humiliating enough to have Black Sapphire Cookie seethe, which is why he surprised even himself when the time came to fulfill his duties, he did so immediately and with alarming devotion.

"This cookie is not your property." Black Sapphire Cookie intercepted some poor nameless soul that was foolish enough try to put an arm around your shoulders. The fury that ignited within him was too quick and powerful to snuff out. "You think this cookie belongs to you? This is his toy, MY toy to play with-"

You grab him by the shoulders and thrust him away from your poor friend that just wanted to say 'hello'. You call him by his disguised name, and Black Sapphire Cookie realizes that he loat his composure. For the first time.

"Jellyberry Cookie."

Ah, yes. That was the stupid name of this stupid villager disguise.

You march up to him, clearly furious. "You're not feeling well today. Do you need to go home?"

"I do, and you're coming with me!" Black Sapphire Cookie put the cheer back into his voice and pulled you away by the wrist. By the way you went willingly with him without a word, he could tell that you wrre pissed and were waiting to settle a score with him.

That was just fine! Black Sapphire agreed, the two of you needed to work out your differences right now.

[ckret2]

I remember you saying a lot of the characters you'd written for had a common theme of loneliness, is there any common theme between the pairings you like or is it just purely "the chemistry is good" ?

there are sooo many pairings with "good chemistry" that totally bore me lmao. no, i've got specific preferences.

Here's one very very specific ship dynamic that I almost always gravitate toward:

Enter a fandom. Find the most powerful villain (or villain-acting character) in this fandom. They must be completely OP, absolutely self-assured in their power and supremacy, all but unbeatable (unless it's by like the plucky hero or whatever). They are smug. They are confident. Their tag is probably filled with reader insert fics with plots like "y/n is dommed by [character] and calls him daddy." This is the Badass.

Find another character. This character is comparatively pathetic. Oftentimes, the fandom joke is that they could never win a fight. If the fandom isn't loudly proclaiming that this second character would get their ass handed to them by, specifically, the Badass, then it's only because the two of them are on SUCH different power levels that the idea of a fight never enters fans' minds. They may or may not actually be a wimp, but what matters is the fandom (and often, the narrative) sees them that way—at least when compared to the Badass, if not universally. This is the Loser.

Then have the Badass get kneecapped with love for the Loser.

They've gotta fall in love in a way that completely destroys them. It makes them fall from grace. It strips away their godhood. It topples their empire. It steals their power, their prestige, their dignity, their confidence, their sanity. It ruins their life.

The Badass would give up everything for a chance to crawl like a worm at the feet of their beloved Loser. They submit themself entirely to the Loser's will. They are but a sword, a toy, a dog, a piece of trash—whatever they need to lower themself to to be allowed to bask in the Loser's light.

The Loser might not even reciprocate.

This is a difficult ship dynamic to be into because even when the fandom DOES ship Badass/Loser, every one of the fics is like "Loser is dommed by Badass and calls him daddy" and I recoil in disgust.

And here's some other ship dynamics I'm into—borrowed from a couple of prior asks I've gotten here and here so if you wanna see me ramble EVEN MORE, I go more in depth in those two links.

the biggest thing that gets me into a ship is unhealthy obsession. Love to the point of self-destruction. Love past the point of all reason. Love like an addiction, love like a poison.

Forms this takes can include:

a worshiper toward their (personal) god. bonus points if the "god" isn't even that great, the divinity just exists in the worshiper's mind and the "god" kinda sucks (billford's a good example; I actually usually prefer the obsession going the other way around, but there's definitely still shades of this in how I write Ford's POV on Bill)

mutual rabidly codependent toxic obsession (example: comics Venom.)

"knight" obsessively in love with their liege. (canon example: Pearl toward Rose Quartz. headcanon example: Zim toward the Tallest. this is gonna be how i write Scaramouche toward Aku.) This can be extended to ships with similar power dynamics like henchman/villain.

your classic yandere. "I love you so much I had to kidnap you," "stay with me and I'll make you sososo happy, leave and I'll kill us both," "I will proactively murder anyone who likes you before you can like them back," "I will rewrite my entire identity to be perfect for you," "I'm so breathlessly euphoric with love for you that I kind of want to slit my own throat" yandere-yandere. (THE yandere: Yuno Gasai. a personal favorite: IDW Tarantulas toward Prowl.)

perpetually unrequited love. it MUST stay unrequited. if it becomes requited it stops being interesting. it must be quietly agonized over for an eternity. Bonus points if the couple once had a chance but the suffering lover sabotaged it. (I've done this with HashiMada, Starscream/Wheeljack, and radiosnake. you could easily do it with Gideon/Mabel or post-betrayal billford.)

"emotionless" characters (like in a "robot programmed without emotions" way, not a "mental illness" way) that somehow gain the capacity to feel love and it becomes their whole identity because they have nothing else. (i don't have an example lmao)

Various tropes I enjoy outside unhealthy obsession (although it can incorporate it):

Anything that lets me write a character romantically waxing poetic over the breathtaking beauty of something that normal people would never consider a potential object of attraction. Like a pteranodon, or a literal triangle with an eyeball, or a pile of black sludge.

The super genius who makes/does incredible things and their personal muse who inspires their work and is in awe of the brilliant things they do/make. they can both be geniuses but don't have to be. (Tarantulas & Prowl; Sir Pentious & Alastor; Ford & Bill)

Toxic exes who still know each other SO well that it's agony to be around each other because they can see everything they used to have.

Characters who make each other Worse. Like their relationship is good, but being together turns them both into terrible people. (Venom.)

[writingdevil]

I’ve finally read through ALL your stuff and I adore it! I love your characterisations of the voices so so much. Would it be possible to ask for more cheated/opportunist? I love the way you made cheated cling to anything that flusters oppy, I feel like he’d never stop looking for ways lmao

(YESSS I LOVE CHEATUNIST!!! You have no idea how obsessed I've become with this ship and their dynamic! I love it and I will always want more of it, because I love how heated they can both get from riling each other up. Anway, enjoy!)

"Where the fuck is he?"

Cheated couldn't believe he was saying this, but he was actually looking for Opportunist.

Cheated was honestly surprised the world wasn't imploding from this revelation.

But it was true. Cheated, over the past few weeks, had found himself spending more and more time with Opportunist, but now, all of a sudden, the slimy bird was nowhere to be seen.

Cheated had gotten so used to having him yap in his ear, finding the bird constantly throwing an arm over his shoulder and gloating over every game that he won, that his absence suddenly felt- wrong.

Cheated hadn't seen him at breakfast, no matter how long he lingered in the kitchen. He couldn't find him outside of the house at all, and when he asked, everyone said that they hadn't seen Opportunist anywhere either.

Cheated could've checked his bedroom, but he knew that that was Opportunist's one safe space, and Cheated didn't feel comfortable breaching that privacy with Opportunist.

Besides, surely Opportunist wasn't just holing up in his room. Surely he was just sneaking around, eating and wandering about when no one could see him, and not just rotting away in his room. Opportunist wouldn't do something that drastic for whatever reason, right?

...Oh, that fucking idiot.

Cheated sighed, trying to ignore the dread and worry pooling in his stomach as he ran to Opportunist's bedroom, skidding right in front of the locked door.

Cheated panted, just staring up at the door and trying to hear for any signs of life on the other side. Cheated really didn't want to cross any lines here, but he was too worried to not try.

"Oppy?" Cheated called out, and then after a few seconds of silence, he knocked on the door. "Oppy? Are you in there?"

Cheated waited with bated breath, hoping to hear anything- but when nothing was heard, Cheated sighed sharply and said, "Oppy, please let me know if you're in here. I'm starting to get really worried about you."

Cheated waited, his fear growing more and more until-

-a whine. A whine of distress.

"Oppy!" Cheated exclaimed, pressing his palms flat against the door. "Oppy, I heard that! Answer me!"

Opportunist didn't answer in that moment, but Cheated knew what he heard. Opportunist was in there.

Cheated glared at the door, then began excessively banging on it, letting the sound echo throughout the hallway until Opportunist's voice came through, "Okay, okay! Stop banging, I'm here!"

Cheated lowered his hand, frustration making it curl into a fist. "What's going on with you? Nobody's seen you all day."

There was an awkward pause, and then Opportunist sheepishly said, "I'm having a me day."

Cheated's brain froze- and then it was quickly engulfed with rage. "A fucking what?"

"A me day," Opportunist reiterated, voice growing in confidence as he said, "I have to, to be able to deal with all of your outbursts throughout the day. You know, you should try it some time- maybe some introspection might be good for you."

Cheated rolled his eyes and scoffed, "You're lying."

"I most certainly am not," Opportunist protested, voice taking on an annoyed tone now. "I value time to myself as well, you know."

"No you don't," Cheated shook his head with a smug smile, even if Opportunist couldn't see. "You hate being alone. You always need someone around to listen to your dumb yapping."

Opportunist spluttered on the other side of the door, before he said, "I don't hate-"

"Also," Cheated interrupted, ignoring Opportunist's offended noises at being cut off, "nobody's seen you all day. Have you eaten anything? Have you gotten fresh air at all?"

The silence was all the answer he needed. "You can't call that a me day," he declared, "so what's really going on here?"

Opportunist didn't say anything to that, but Cheated could hear him pacing up and down in his room. Cheated let him do that for a few seconds, and then he thumped his fist against the door. "Oppy!"

Opportunist yelped, and then there was the sound of him marching up to the door, and Cheated could hear the irritation in his voice as he hissed, "You're really annoying, you know that?"

Cheated barked out a laugh. "That's rich coming from you."

"No," Opportunist said, and Cheated never heard him speak with so much honest ire before. Usually he coated everything in either a placating tone or he complimented someone until they forgot what they were talking about. But here, Opportunist was being brutally honest.

"No, you get on my nerves so much."

Anger exploded out of Cheated's chest. "You think you don't piss me off every day?!"

"No, you don't get it," Opportunist protested. "You annoy me because you never fall for my tricks. You insist that I have a plot up my sleeve, or that everything I say is a lie. You never even give me the chance to trick you."

"Are you actually upset about me not falling for your little schemes?"

Opportunist went on as if he hadn't heard Cheated, "Instead, all we do is play games that mean nothing, but I still play them with you, just because I think you're funny when you're angry. We play and we talk and I know I can't fool you, but I still hang around you. Why? I wish I knew!"

Opportunist panted, and then Cheated flinched as Opportunist slammed his fist against the door. "Then-and then- you have the audacity to make me feel-" Opportunist cut himself off to make a disgruntled noise of frustration, "-feel flustered and nervous, because you keep poking at me and making me trip up!"

Cheated furrowed his brows in confusion. Is that what this was about? Cheated made Opportunist embarrassed?

"Oppy, what are you talking about? I don't do anything to make you act like that! If anything, you're the one who keeps messing with me!"

"Yeah, and then you turn it around, and then suddenly I can't lie or tease you, or do anything to try and get an advantage, because you can't give me anything and I can't perform around you- but I- I-"

"You what?" Cheated asked, his face warming up for some reason.

"But I can't stop thinking about you!"

Cheated's heart skipped a beat.

He heard Opportunist pant on the other side, and Cheated wanted to see the look on his face. He wanted to see how Opportunist looked right now, after spilling his guts to Cheated.

Cheated took another step towards the door, almost brushing against the wood. He heard the way Opportunist calmed down, then the way his breath hitched, as if only realising what he had just revealed.

"Oppy?" Cheated whispered- and then there was the sudden sound of Opportunist stumbling back in a panic, his feet taking him further away from Cheated, and Cheated pressed his forehead against the door, as if that would bring them closer.

"Oppy?" Cheated repeated. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Opportunist squeaked, but Cheated could hear the fear in his voice. "I am perfectly fine, as long as I stay in my room, and away from you!"

"Is that why you're not leaving your room? You're avoiding me?" Cheated tried not to let the hurt show in his voice, but he couldn't stop the pang of pain in his chest.

Opportunist was silent for a few seconds, and then he quietly said, "I can't trust myself around you."

Cheated's hand found the doorknob.

Cheated couldn't stand this- couldn't stand hearing Opportunist's voice be so small and weak, not when he was used hearing him be so loud and confident and practically brightening up a room with his nonsense.

Dammit, Cheated missed Opportunist! He missed the way Opportunist would talk to him for hours and never back down, no matter how grouchy or enraged Cheated got.

He missed the way Opportunist would look at him with a knowing twinkle in his eyes, eyes that would have Cheated's heart fluttering and mouth going dry, looking at him as if he couldn't wait to see Cheated's reaction to something.

He missed the way Opportunist would laugh- not the loud, boisterous one that was clearly fake- but the tiny giggles he would let out when Cheated said something funny, or the snort he would always try to hide, but Cheated found absolutely adorable.

In that moment he knew- Cheated was in love with Opportunist.

"Oppy, open the door," Cheated pleaded, trying to keep his voice level, but Cheated was never the calm and collected type.

"No." Oppy sounded as far away from the door as possible. "No, I don't want to see you right now."

"Say it to my fucking face then!" Cheated snarled, grip tightening on the doorknob. He was prepared to bash this shitty door down if it meant he could see Opportunist again.

"You can't come in!" Opportunist yelled. "We need to talk about this!" Cheated protested, but Opportunist just retorted with, "No, we don't! We just need to stay out of each other's way and-"

"-and what? Avoid what's going on between us forever? Is that how you wanna live?"

Opportunist was quiet for what felt like an eternity. Then, a small, weak, "Yes."

Cheated glared daggers through the door, baring his teeth at the barrier between him and Opportunist.

"I don't fucking believe you! Now open this stupid door-"

In a fit of rage, Cheated yanked on the seemingly locked door, expecting it to hold firm against him- but then it just swung open.

Cheated just about managed to stop himself from falling forward on his face, stumbling to a halt as he clutched the doorknob for dear life. He let a gasp of shock out, staring down at the ground in disbelief, before slowly lifting his head.

Opportunist was pressed against the back wall, trembling all over with wide eyes, full of confusion, shock, and fear.

Did Cheated ever actually check to see if the door was locked?

No. No, he hadn't, because he just assumed Opportunist locked it, and Cheated wanted to respect his privacy.

Their eyes locked, and Cheated could see the exact moment that Opportunist realised what he had failed to do- lock a door.

But then again, now Cheated was here with Opportunist.

Opportunist eventually got over his shock and embarrassment, even if his raised feathers said otherwise. He glared at Cheated, but it was barely a sting compared to how sad he looked to Cheated.

"Get. Out," Opportunist demanded in a dark tone, but all Cheated could focus on was the tremble and nervousness in his voice.

"I need to do something first," Cheated whispered, staring at Opportunist, at this dumb and infuriating bird that Cheated couldn't get enough of. He marched over to Opportunist.

"No!" Opportunist protested. "You need to leave-"

"Shut the fuck up, Oppy," Cheated mumbled, walking over and grabbing Oppy's face, slamming their lips together into an intense kiss that made Cheated's knees buckle.

They both let a whine of heartache out at the kiss, as if they had been missing this their entire lives. Opportunist struggled to get out of the kiss, but Cheated just shoved him against the wall, determined to do this right.

It was messy and unfocused, but Cheated couldn't deny how soft Opportunist's lips felt against his, making him slowly grow addicted for more.

He broke away first still, panting as he felt Opportunist clutch at his arms that were holding him. Opportunist's eyes were wide and dazed, struggling to come to terms with what had just happened, so unlike his usual sharp and calculated looks. Cheated liked being the one to get this reaction from him.

Cheated looked him in the eye as he spat out, "You piss me off so much." Opportunist tried and failed to give him a look of rage, still squirming against Cheated's hold. "You're always the one to poke fun at me, and you somehow know exactly what to say to make me see fucking red. You lie, you cheat, and you're completely shameless about it."

Opportunist opened his mouth to protest, but Cheated closed his eyes and brought him into another passionate kiss, sighing at how good it felt.

He could also feel Opportunist's grip become softer, and his body stopped trying to escape his embrace, instead now softly kissing back, and Cheated could swear that he heard Opportunist whine when they separated again.

Cheated panted as he looked at Opportunist's half lidded eyes, at the pure want that was growing in them.

The idiot wouldn't have lasted a full day away from Cheated.

"But despite all that," Cheated continued, his voice coming out more rough and heavy as time went on, "you refuse to leave my mind. You drive me fucking mad, because I can't stop thinking about your dumb, pretty smile, or how your voice sounds so annoying and sweet at the same time and-and-you keep coming back to me."

Opportunist looked shocked, and Cheated's face was completely on fire at this point, so he ended up glaring at Opportunist's chest, with all his incredibly soft and perfect looking feathers.

"You keep coming back to talk to me even though all I did was yell at you and call you a con artist. You just- didn't leave. You keep playing games with me and hanging around me, no matter how pissed off I got at you- and then I started to see you for who you actually were, and I suddenly never wanted you to leave."

Finally, he looked up into Opportunist's eyes, and saw nothing but pure, scared, love in them.

"So yeah, I can't stop thinking about you either, asshole," Cheated finished with a huff- and then they were kissing again.

This time, Cheated wasn't sure who pulled the other in first, or who slipped their tongue past the other's lips, but all Cheated knew was that nothing could replace this moment.

The two of them melted against each other, all tension and nerves replaced with love and passion, and Cheated's sighed as he felt Opportunist desperately clutch at his shoulders, and he just pressed Opportunist further against the wall, bringing out all sorts of cute whines and moans from him.

Cheated could get addicted to this. He wanted to get addicted to Opportunist.

Unfortunately, a lack of oxygen made them pull apart, and Cheated's not sure he's ever seen Opportunist look so frazzled and fallen apart.

He loved it. He loved Opportunist.

Cheated rested his forehead against Opportunist's, who sighed and closed his eyes for a moment of peace, letting everything that had just occurred settle within them.

Then, Cheated smirked and whispered, "Checkmate."

Opportunist gave a soft snort of fond amusement, and then pulled Cheated into another amazing kiss.

[eurydicees]

re what they are saying about fiyero on twitter - gosh there is too much stuff. they talk about how uninteresting he is, how his presence has no effect on the leads, how he shouldn’t be elphaba’s endgame and doesnt deserve to be, how they want to delete him from the plot (somewhere along those line), how they want to block anyone making any fiyeraba or fiyero tweets or content and much, much, MUCH more like i genuinely do not understand the obsession?

i of course get not liking him, thats normal about any character lol but the way they just cannot shut up about how they dislike him is so….. like really no one is challenging your gelphie content 😭 we really are not interested to challenge your ship. you really dont need to focus on this guy 24/7 but ig you do you i hope they remain sane amidst all the apparent misery lol

well. you know. disappointed by not surprised. a partial fiyero ted talk under the cut. sorry.

it's like. it's just so frustrating to write him off as uninteresting and as having no effect on either elphaba (or glinda). like guys why is the media literacy not happening right now. also how the fuck would you delete him from the plot???? guys his plan is literally how elphaba escapes dorothy. he's the one who saves her from the gale force, TWICE. he literally sacrifices himself for her escape and its his sacrifice that makes her spiral into "wickedness" during no good deed.

also, fiyero is elphaba's endgame in part because he does what glinda cannot bring herself to do. WHICH IS SO VITAL TO THE ENDING. fiyero is the one who makes all of the sacrifices for elphaba that glinda refused, and he both pays the price for it and reaps the reward of it.

glinda and elphaba have a profound effect on each other, obviously, but it's not like fiyero is left unchanged by elphaba. i dont get where this idea that fiyero and elphaba have no dynamic because like??? that's just not true?????

fiyero goes from refusing to confront the difficulties of life to choosing the more difficult path for the sake of morality and loyalty and love because of elphaba (which is also really interesting given how he's, like, kind of a casualty of war in the book more than he is an actual rebel....mostly fiyero's book to musical adapation is #Rough but that's a cool parallel i hadn't noticed before).

glinda begins to see the flaws in the wizard's society, but she actively chooses to be a part of the system anyway. and she regrets it. that's the whole thing abt thank goodness!!!

fiyero, on the other hand, begins to see the flaws in this society and he chooses elphaba--and the life of rebellion that she's chosen--over everything that glinda admits to being unable to resist.

and GOD. guys that's so interesting. HES SO INTERESTING!!! how are you not interested by all of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wicked is such a cool study on morality and what the "right" thing to do in such a world is, and what it means to make the decision to do the right thing vs the comfortable thing. fiyero chooses to follow elphaba and he pays the price, but he also doesn't regret it. glinda chooses the "safe" option--but in the end, even if she chooses good then, she's entirely alone in it all.

and that's SO INTERESTING!!!!!!!!! god. whatever. twitter just doesn't get him like you and me get him, anon.

just. it's totally fine to dislike him! i'm not refuting people's right to dislike him. the nature of fictional characters is that sometimes people will dislike them. like that's fine.

but being incapable of shutting up about how much you hate a character just...it stops being "harmlessly disliking a fictional character" and starts being "you are insufferable to talk to." like sorry you're so miserable about fiyeraba but i'm gonna be over here just having fun because that's what fandom is supposed to be about :)

(also, just a major issue with breaking this movie up into two films released a year apart is that any movie-only fans just don't get the point of fiyero's character. it's kind of devastating. ik not all of the people saying that stuff are movie-only but man. the people who are...im BEGGING you to give him a chance in part 2. literally BEGGING you. fiyero is such a good character. he has so many good moments. let the green girl go lives in my head rent free and if they cut that i'll riot.)

tldr; fiyero is SO neat and twitter is just full of cowards.

[pluckyredhead]

Please ship Orion and Lightray with me, thank you

If you've been reading my Fourth World posting, you might have noticed me mentioning Orion and Lightray's relationship. This is because they're in love and I'm obsessed with them. Please join me in grumpy/sunshine-but-they're-alien-demigods hell, with visual references below.

So Orion, as we know, is the son of Darkseid who was raised on New Genesis but has always felt different and monstrous compared to his peers. Lightray is his best friend, who thinks Orion is just the best thing since sliced bread and says so constantly.

This is literally how we're introduced to them, in New Gods #1:

Lightray: Don't be sad. Hug time! Orion: Hugs are not for one such as me. But you're still my best friend. Lightray: Please let me enter your chambers. Orion: NO THEY ARE TOO DARK. Lightray: D:

This panel, from #6, sums up their whole dynamic really well:

Lightray doesn't crave battle the way Orion does but he is determined to stay by his side, while Orion doesn't want Lightray to fight beside him because he thinks Lightray is too good and pure to be tainted by violence.

Zero personal space.

So one of the things about Orion is that his real face is sort of brutish and not traditionally handsome (the eyebrows are WILD), but he uses his Mother Box (like a living pocket computer that loves you) to make himself look more like the people of New Genesis. In #8, he gets into a knock-down, drag-out fight with his half-brother Kalibak that nearly kills them both, and Mother Box can't maintain the illusion (and also his face is, like, pulverized). And then this happens:

I WEEP. LIGHTRAY LOVES YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE, ORION.

New Gods was canceled soon after this, but when Kirby returned a decade later, he went all in on the homoerotic devotion. So Orion goes to Apokolips to kill his dad and rescue his mom, and who do you think follows him?

That second panel makes me laugh so hard. "Here, honey, you forgot your Scooty Puff Jr!"

My favorite thing about this is that Lightray is playing dumb. He shot at Orion earlier and then said something vague about missing on purpose...but he didn't:

HE REALLY TRIED TO WOUND ORION ENOUGH TO STOP HIS SUICIDE MISSION. And the way he just shuts his eyes and takes Orion's anger because he doesn't care what happens as long as he saves his friend's life...! (Orion doesn't hurt him, they just touch each other a lot.)

Anyway they argue for multiple pages, with Orion insisting that Lightray go home and Lightray insisting that he stay, until finally:

This is so intensely romantic and also so unintentionally hilarious that I can't stand it. The homoerotic gazing into one another's eyes and then the stupid mutual thumbs up! Whatever is going on with that closeup of Orion in the second panel! I die!

...And you know who else dies? Orion! Or at least he comes very close (it's unclear), but is rescued by a freedom fighter named Himon and nursed back to health by Himon and his daughter Bekka. We get a little romance between Orion and Bekka, but we also get Lightray coming to visit:

That is some FULL CONTACT wrestling, boys. Orion pinning Lightray to the ground while telling him it's good to see him is so much, but the fourth panel is even mucher. My goodness.

And then things get serious, because they both believe they are going to die in the upcoming battle (they don't), so they bid each other farewell and Lightray leaves, and then:

Orion yells after Lightray how smart and funny he is and then collapses in despair because his friend is gone. "HOW LIKE A WANDERING STAR HE SEEMS." Oh my god, Orion.

That's it for Kirby, so I'll move on to other writers and artists, but I want to clear that I'm only sharing the most intense scenes between them. There are so many panels, from Kirby and others, of Lightray faithfully following Orion around, joyously welcoming him back to New Genesis, gently teasing him, and talking about how brave and noble he is. And of Orion only smiling for Lightray, going feral when he gets hurt, and telling him he's too good and pretty for battle. And of the two of them touching each other. A lot.

Literally just two random examples. THEY DO THIS SHIT ALL THE TIME.

The next really big moment comes in New Gods (1995), where the Source (basically God/Heaven) becomes corrupted and Lightray goes evil and Orion has to beat him up to stop him and I will never ever ever recover from these pages:

"You want the beast? Do you like it?" on its own is...hoo boy, SOMETHING. But it is eclipsed by the tremulous "Maybe...maybe if I can just hold him" and Orion gathering Lightray up in his arms while telling him he loves him. LIKE. THIS IS SO MUCH. (P.S. Lightray's fine don't worry. And yes, he does want the beast.)

Then we get to Orion (PLEASE read this comic) and the biggest smile Orion has ever smolt:

Look at how happy he is!!! You need to understand that his mother died in his arms ten minutes ago and he's still like "Lightray! Omg hi!!!" (To be fair, his mother was terrible.) Plus bonus unnecessary touching, Lightray's love language being gifts, and Orion giggling and twirling his hair while going "Omg you're so smart."

(Also, when Lightray mentions his "brief but troubling visit" to Apokolips in the second panel, what's not saying is that he put on a silly disguise and went to see a fortuneteller to try to figure out if Orion's mom was lying about Darkseid not being his real dad (she was; again, she was terrible), and when the fortuneteller is like "You DARE come to Apokolips?!" he goes "I would dare anything for my friend!" I know you would, honey. I know you would.)

The next bit requires some explanation. So, as briefly as possible: Orion kills Darkseid (or so he thinks), takes over Apokolips, and tries very hard to change it for the better. He also accidentally gains possession of the Anti-Life Equation, the formula Darkseid is always searching for that eradicates free will, and gradually is driven to use it to FORCE everyone on Apokolips to be good. And Earth. And New Genesis.

Eventually, Orion is seemingly killed, but actually he's been teleported somewhere unfathomably far away, where he realizes what he's done and sinks into suicidal despair. In the midst of this, he manages to both destroy the Anti-Life Equation AND save all of reality (and nearly die in the process), but he still thinks that because he used the Equation, he's irredeemable and doesn't deserve to exist.

So when he's teleported back to Earth and captured by a human who blinds him and rigs him up to a torture device so that he can drain Orion's life force and use it to be eternally youthful, Orion just...lets it happen. Because he thinks he deserves it. For SEVEN MONTHS.

But eventually he's like "Wait...I deserve this, but probably whatever is being done with my energy is not good and I should stop it." He tries to escape but only manages to let out a single scream.

Luckily, Lightray has been searching for him nonstop for those seven months, despite the face that Orion is supposed to be dead. And then we get this:

To be clear: this is sweet, gentle Lightray absolutely obliterating the men who kept Orion in the torture device.

Nakey.

Lightray gives Orion the crushed remnants of his wrist cuffs, and Orion does a magical girl transformation about it:

For everyone playing along at home, that's the second time Orion has canonically told Lightray that he loves him.

Anyway, Orion goes off to get revenge on the guy who did this to him (it's very satisfying, please read Orion), and then he's depressed some more until he has some brotherly bonding time with Scott and finally feels well enough to go back to New Genesis. His last line of dialogue in the series is "For it is late, and the sunrise and friend Lightray await us in the gleaming city of the gods." OKAY!

Tragically, almost every New Gods appearance after this is complete dogshit, although there is a great moment in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps (a Rebirth series) where they need information from Orion but he's comatose so they bring in a telepath and the only word he can get out of Orion's mind is "Lightray." I'LL BET.

IN CONCLUSION: Orion and Lightray love each other so so much and I believe it is honoring Jack Kirby's legacy to think about them smooching. It's what the King would have wanted!

[myirlnameiscloud]

Okay so the thing that almost ruins SkyStar/JetStar/whatever is how a lot of their ship art makes Starscream look like a fucking toddler. I actually despise it.

Like yeah, Skyfire is a massive fucking Cybertronian, but it's not like Starscream should look like a baby compared to him.

Like, we do not need to be exaggerating the size difference so much. Nor do we need to be adding such baby-like features on Starscream.

Can we maybe draw LESS of this:

Because it's kinda gross and gives weird vibes.

Let's let Starscream be an adult. Please. We do not need to be obsessing over the "big husband x smoll wife! 🥺" dynamic. I absolutely do not want their personalities to be reduced down to their height.

But yes, Starscream is on the smaller side of the Decepticons (I think) so it's alright to have some size difference. Besides, Cybertronian size varies much more than humans. But just PLEASE don't make it creepy.

Maybe draw something more like this:

And I would even be okay with making Starscream even smaller here, as long as you make sure she doesn't look like an actual child.

But whatever, I'm not telling anyone how to live their life. I'm just complaining.

[seventeenlovesthree]

Madoka Magica Ship Analysis - HomuMado

Based on these two polls [X] [X], I will write an analysis that'll also include how I feel about the ship (similarly to my Digimon shipping game analysis posts).

Disclaimer: I won't claim this to be a conclusive/definitive analysis of all of the ship's aspects. I have watched the original 12-episode-series and movies (including Rebellion), the Magia Record anime and I've read several manga series (the Original, The Different Story, Wraith Arc, Rebellion Story, Oriko Magica, Another Story, Mitakihara Anti-Materials). But I'm aware that I haven't seen/read all of what's out there and am also not thoroughly familiar with the games. Plus, oftentimes, ship dynamics vary depending on which series/timeline you are looking at. I'm fairly certain that thousands of words must have been written about this ship already, better and more elaborate than I probably ever could - so this is going to be my personal take on it.

Whether canon provides input on them or not.

As the main faces, characters (and ship) of the entire franchise, it's absolutely impossible to watch/read/play the series without taking note of Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi and their dynamic. Their characters, arcs and development are irrevocably connected with one another - no pun intended (yet) - and without them, we wouldn't even have a story to talk about to begin with. But let's start at the beginning, shall we.

On one hand, we have Homura - who initially started off as a shy and timid girl, prone to sickness and ridden by insecurities. Presumably raised as an orphan at a government-funded orphanage, she struggles to find her way, fitting in at school, keeping up, making friends and socializing in general - thus she becomes an easy target for corruption (we shall keep this in mind for later) and is almost being dragged into suicidal tendencies by a Witch... If it wasn't for the pink-haired Magical Girl (and her Senpai) who is going to rescue her - and Homura has no idea yet that she'll end up committing her entire life and purpose to her soon after.

Madoka initially starts off as not considering herself to be anything special - but is still determined to do good as a Magical Girl, she appears to be straight-forward yet kind, gentle and welcoming... Especially towards Homura. So - is it really surprising that Homura, timid, insecure, lonely Homura, would end up thoroughly enchanted by Madoka? The first real friend she must have had in ages? The person who smiled at her, reached out and encouraged her in her pure, innocent ways? Absolutely not, it's highly relatable, endearing... And thus, it shall be even less surprising to see Homura not wanting to lose her again. The feeling of being wanted, appreciated - of not being alone anymore.

After watching Madoka sacrificing herself, ending up killed by Walpurgisnacht in the original timeline, Homura makes her wish to become a Magical Girl herself - not just to meet Madoka again, but to be the one to rescue her this time. What appears to be a wish of determined, unexpectedly confident heroism at first will, just like every other wish, turn out to be a multi-layered mess of human complexity. An underlying desire born from affection - that will eventually turn into something deeper, desperation, obsession, whatever you may want to call it.

Homura lives through countless timelines, repeating the same month over and over again to save Madoka, discovering the fate of Magical Girls to become Witches eventually along the way, becoming more and more skilled at weaponry combat... At some point, she was already perfectly ready to become a witch alongside Madoka, as long as they're together, destroying the entire world - but is held back by Madoka's wish to prevent her from falling for Kyubey. And thus, Homura thoroughly hyperfocuses on her personal mission, so she won't lose the last bit of hope, no matter how bleak the situation may be. However, in the process, she is growing more and more distant, not only from Madoka and their fellow magical girls, but also from herself. Hardened by the experiences, she develops a cool facade and a stoic attitude, swallowing and locking away emotional attachment to anything and anyone that is not Madoka in order to reach her goal.

With every timeline resetted, more karmic energy revolves around Madoka - but with Homura's wish revolving around saving her, she also becomes increasingly more timid, reserved and insecure each time(line). While her general stance on Homura is still mainly the same - finding her, her look and name cute/pretty -, their ability to relate to one another dwindles with every reset. Homura's attempts at reaching Madoka, as desperate as they may appear, rather scare and alienate Madoka - who cannot possibly understand what she has been going through, the time she had spent, the absolute commitment...

Until Madoka eventually makes her own wish to honour all of Homura's achievements - until she wishes for Witches to never have existed and, enabled by all the karmic energy, she becomes a literal Goddess in the process, the Law of Cycles to keep magical girls from despairing, creating an entirely new universe... One in which she has never existed as a human, but only as a concept. Selflessly wishing for everybody's happiness - whereas Homura wishes she didn't. While Madoka thanks her for all she had done for her sake, giving her her red hair ribbons as memory for safekeeping, Homura cannot fully accept this new reality. She does fight on at first, honouring Madoka's wish within a world that has Wraiths instead of Witches, determined to defy anyone and anything that shall threaten her legacy... But this state isn't meant to last.

The long twintail-braids shy, timid Homura used to wear alongside her glasses, mirroring Madoka's red-ribboned twintails as a symbol of innocence, are merely a memory of who Homura Akemi is going to become. For the sake of her initial wish, for the sake of devotion and love that have turned into an obsession that doesn't allow much deviation. And her will to keep living in Madoka's universe is fragile - as she has to overcome temptation in the shape of shape-shifting Wraiths, showing her her beloved Madoka once more - just for example.

And eventually, despair takes over: Trapped within a Witch's barrier inside of Homura's own Soul Gem, a world has formed that technically would have granted her biggest wish - a world in which Madoka exists happily alongside her and her/their friends, fighting together, living a peaceful life... But this world is just a facade as well, meant to lure the Goddess into a trap to regain power over the old Witch System of an alternate reality. And Homura, whose hair can never be turned back into braids again, who has lost her way and purpose, turned into a Witch and is ready to sacrifice herself if it means keeping Madoka safe once more. But even as she is, once again, mercifully saved by Madoka in the end in another act of selflessness - Homura's initial wish takes over. To be the one to save Madoka - in Homura's sense, means to stop her from being selfless for once, giving her the chance to live a normal life in another fake reality. It's Homura's, presumably, selfish desire in contrast to Madoka's - as they have truly become opposites in every single way. In order to fulfill her wish and become Madoka's sanctuary - even against her will -, she became a Devil to defy the Goddess' universe, following a corrupted form of love once born from the wish to protect the one most important to her. To maintain the image of Madoka she had formed in her head, regardless of whether that is what Madoka has eventually become and wished for by herself. And thus, she cannot wear Madoka's red ribbons, the sign of her legacy and innocence, anymore. A black dress and red eyes now have to face a white dress and golden eyes. The braids cannot return... At least not for now.

... Too long, didn't read: There is A LOT to work with, you already know all of this and yet, I am pretty sure I haven't been able to capture every aspect of them.

Whether I think why and how they’d work.

As mentioned, depending on timeline, universe, state of progression, their dynamic tends to be WILDLY DIFFERENT. You can take Moemura/Shy!Homura and OG!Madoka, you can take Cool!Homura and Anime!Madoka (and their various states in between), you can take EndofAnime!Homura and Madokami, you can take Rebellion!Homura and Rebellion!Madoka, Homucifer and Madokami and you can take Homucifer and FakeWorld!Madoka... The possibilities are ENDLESS (especially when you also include the more comedic-leaning portrayals in spin-off mangas like Homura Tamura).

The good part about this is - you can basically pick your poison, you can make this dynamic as wholesome or as toxic as you desire your own personal brand of Yuri to be. Which is, in my opinion, one of the aspects that make Madoka Magica and HomuMado in general so unbelievably intriguing.

Let's start with the toxic side of things, because I would argue that this is where Rebellion left us hanging and where Walpurgisnacht Rising might continue (at first): Homura's wish and her mingling created a very idealized version of Madoka in her head that she wishes to protect and maintain. Her initial thankfulness and endearment towards the kind, strong Madoka in the original timeline have basically been replaced by her unshaken desire to SAVE her. She has to be the one who (selfishly?) stops her from being selfless, she has to be the one to shield and protect her from any harm, keeping her locked in a precious glass bowl preferably nobody else can mess with. The problem here is that this version of Homura (which is basically Homucifer, but also several stages of her before that) cannot accept any other reading of reality than her own. Yes, in an ideal world, she could have allowed Madokami to finally take her away to exist with her in lesbian heaven for the rest of eternity - but that was not what Homura had wished for. And also probably not what Homura thought she deserved after everything she had done. In a way, having her turn into Homucifer was also some kind of self-chosen punishment as a "sinner"...

And Madoka, honestly speaking, probably had a very idealized version of Homura in her head as well. I'm not just talking about Rebellion!Madoka (or FakeReality!Madoka for that matter), whose memories had been tampered with, but also Madokami - who claimed to have seen all that Homura had done for her, in all timelines and realities... But apparently, she hadn't noticed her state of mind, her being so close to despairing and snapping because she just couldn't take this universe. That she couldn't let Mami or Kyouko in, no matter how hard they tried. She still felt alienated from them and lonely, thus she always reverted back to her initial goal, as she simply didn't belong into this universe. It kinda leads me to believe that it may be impossible for even Madokami to see Homura as anything other than the braided girl from the very beginning, her "best friend" from the original timeline.

Long story short - these two need to actually TALK for once. Getting to know their REAL CURRENT selves in whatever state or timeline that may be. Seriously, letting Madokami and Homucifer have a verbal conversation about all these misconceptions and misunderstandings about each other, talking about needs and desires and BOUNDARIES in a meta-kinda-way would be incredibly satisfying to watch. (And I am pretty sure, such scenarios exist in both fanfiction and doujins, but I haven't found them yet!)

Personally, I also highly enjoy the dynamic between Moemura and OG!Madoka - even after a few timelines have passed, as it has been depicted in the second season of the Magia Record anime. It gave me the impression that Homura had already gained a little bit of confidence and Madoka was still hands-on enough for them to be on a similar wavelength - which makes their dynamic among the healthiest in the entire franchise and gives them a lot of opportunities to bond and develop. For Homura to form a proper sense of self, encouraged by but not entirely dependent on Madoka. Actually, this version is also incredibly close to the Rebellion dream versions of Homura and Madoka - which, unsurprisingly, also is one of the most peaceful versions of them, having them sit together in a flower field, talking for hours about actual things. However, this Homura is still hyperfocusing on Madoka here - and it may not even have been her 100% authentic self, since her memories had been influenced by Homura's vision of her.

However, you have to allow them to talk and actually get to know each other and their flaws, let them banter and tease... Let Homura see and learn to accept undesirable aspects of Madoka - and let Madoka shout back at her if necessary. Deep down inside, they both adore and admire each other - which is why they were compatible in the original timeline in the first place. Homura admired Madoka for her strength, whereas Madoka admired Homura for her coolness. And they absolutely have the potential to help the other to become their best selves. But they need to see each other for who they really are and thus have to abandon codependent tendencies for it to work; Homura has to accept that Madoka is her own person who doesn't need to be overprotected - and Madoka has to accept that she cannot "save" Homura just by herself, but that she may encourage her to get therapy to deal with her self-image first. Let Homura understand that "love" also means to let go. Let her see that different people define "love" differently as well and that you have to understand how your significant other loves to love them back right.

Whether I’d prefer them as platonic or romantic ship.

When I had watched Madoka Magica for the first time approximately 10 years ago, I was positively - and obviously - in love with this ship and its potential. I adored Rebellion for how tragically it portrayed it - and again, I'm not even sure if I did them justice in comparison to everyone who wrote about them before me. As outlined above, it has various layers to pay attention to and I absolutely cannot wait to see how Walpurgisnacht Rising will add to my initial analysis of them. Because their dynamic WILL change, there is no denying.

Even after all this time, I still (want to) see the romantic potential between them. They may not be my favourite Madoka Magica ship anymore, but I still rate them very highly due to their complexity, my own nostalgia and hopefulness - although I'm aware that I would ship them in very idealized ways myself that are self-indulgently peaceful (and required a lot of therapy). As much as I want to see them get a happy end one way or another - I am currently very invested in exploring Madoka's and Homura's polycule potential dynamics with the other members of the Holy Quintet and am looking forward to writing more ship analysis posts soon!

[anghraine]

Thinking about it, I feel like fandom can handle romantic relationships that are very sweet and respectful and intimate and loving and devoted and heartwarming. And sometimes it can handle "romantic" relationships that are intense and obsessive and fucked-up and enthralled in a sort of "these people shouldn't inflict themselves on anyone else" way; the former tends to lean into a soft, psychologically healthy tenderness and the latter towards a harsh, distinctly unsentimental edge.

But quite a few of my favorite ships are, IMO, both of these at once. They're wildly sentimental and tender and sweet and devoted with each other and genuinely think the world of each other's merits and are so intensely mutually obsessed that it seems like the welfare, presence, or sometimes mere thought of their beloved utterly eclipses the opinions and existence of every other person alive. They adore each other to a degree that can be genuinely callous to others around them, they say and do fucked-up shit either for one another or out of their feelings for each other, but so tenderly that you're like "wait, did that just happen for real- !"

Anyway, this is very much how I feel about Kirk/Spock, especially in TOS. I've seen the occasional unsentimental fucked-up take on them, and I've seen lots about their relationship as a model of psychological wellness and healthy relationship goals, and I'm like... hmm, to me their dynamic is fucked-up and tenderly sentimental and endearing! It's a false dichotomy!

I mean, they seethe with jealousy at the slightest hint of not being the center of each other's lives. They run roughshod over Bones over and over, or just ignore his and everyone's presence (except each other's) on a regular basis in just about every episode, to the point that he frequently looks like he's longing for an escape route—or he actually has one and just nopes out while they're communing across the bridge or whatever the fuck. Their pining has a body count.

Spock torches his principles for Kirk on numerous occasions (e.g. urging Kirk to murder the Horta, wiping Rayna from his memory...), while Kirk is brutally cold and menacing to anyone who looks the wrong way at Spock. Spock responds to entirely valid ethical questions about jeopardizing hundreds of people's lives for a slim chance at saving Kirk with "I need not explain my rationale to you or any other member of this crew." When told in another incident that searching for Kirk with the detail he's ordered would take literal years, he replies, "Then the sooner you begin, the better." In yet another episode, Spock avoids eating or sleeping for two months in his focus on rescuing him. Meanwhile, in the same season, when Kirk thinks Miranda Jones isn't really putting maximum effort into saving Spock, he launches into this calculated but genuinely-felt screed:

What are you doing about it? … The other half [of Spock] is human. Far more human than you, apparently … If you don’t reach him soon, he’ll die. But that’s what you want, isn’t it? … You want him to die. What did you do to him on the bridge? Did you make him forget to put the visor over his eyes? … You know your rival, don’t you? You couldn’t keep him from making a mind-link with Kollos, something you couldn’t do yourself! With my words, I’ll make you hear such ugliness as Spock saw when he looked at Kollos with his naked eyes! The ugliness is within you! … Spock saw Kollos, and for that he must die … The smell of hatred, the stench of jealousy permeates you. Why don’t you strangle him while he lies there?

Miranda quite understandably says, "You're insane."

Very very famously, there's an entire episode that involves various people telling Kirk he can't immolate his career/life for Spock and him going "watch me." A season before, he throws every procedure and regulation in the book at Starfleet to delay departure long enough to save Spock's landing party when the stakes are swaths of people dying from the plague while the cure is on the Enterprise. In S3, Spock all but tells Starfleet to go fuck themselves when they command him not to rescue Kirk and he promptly defies orders and starts nerve-pinching everyone in his path.

This isn't even exhaustive, lol. They're just like that all the time.

[takaraphoenix]

I think the funnest thing about Teen Wolf is just how many non-canon friendships I have living in my head rent-free.

In most fandoms, I am very happy just building upon the canon friendships, strengthening and exploring those. But something about Teen Wolf and the whole pack concept makes my fingers itch to explore dynamics that were so vastly underdeveloped in canon, you really can't talk about friendships there.

Boyd, Erica and Stiles developing a deep bond after the basement and becoming close friends has genuinely become the most important dynamic to me, full-stop. Whatever romantic ship is going on, Steroyd are there and close and important to me, this is a three-piece set, do not separate.

Stiles and Jackson bonding over the Nogitsune and kanima experience? Understanding this in a way nobody else can? These two mostly hate each other in canon, but in my head, they are best friends and would kill for each other.

The Stiles and Isaac dynamic is one the fandom is deeply obsessed and it's hard to not jump onto that too. Stiles with a soft spot for Isaac, Isaac actually opening up to Stiles? Yeah, give it to me.

And now I'm developing a strong attachment for a Marin-Stiles mentor/mentee relationship. Because fuck Deaton, the day I write trustworthy!Deaton is the day you know someone hijacked my AO3 account, I do not trust that man and still think that the show dropped the ball after the s1 and s2 set-up to not make him a villain. But due to my current developing attachment to Deucalion and the Alpha Pack, I've grown fond of the idea that while the (good) Alpha Pack is in town, Marin Morrell becomes Stiles' mentor and teaches him to hone his Spark.

I would however like to point out that this attachment of mine isn't even limited to Stiles dynamics (shocking, I know).

I am beyond convinced that Erica and Jackson would hit it off like a house on fire, they have the potential to be devastatingly hot, judgmental and wicked best friends.

I've also decided that Erica is Peter's favorite (after Stiles) and that Erica is Peter's biggest fan. I want a deeply seated fondness there.

And due to Chris/Peter, I have also grown so attached to a sisterly Malia-Allison dynamic, often also including Cora because I like the idea of Chris/Peter getting to raise the Hale siblings together.

There are just so many good characters stored in this show and they didn't get to interact enough, so many good dynamics that could have been if the writers cared.

[cookies-after-dark]

FIRSTTT OF ALL, YHANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS SIDE BLOG I'm a big Black Sapphire Fan and it got me giggling that last post,,,,

I'd imagine Black Sapphire is a biter, likely covering the reader with bites, maybe a bit of strangulation, degrading us as he mutters it all by our ear

SSORRY FOR THE RAMBLE, I FINALLY FOUND SUCH A PERFECT BLOG TO TALK ABOUT MY #FREAKY THOUGHTS (one day I'll be brave enough to get off anon)

additional tags: explicit content, yandere, stalking, obsessive behavior, jealousy, unhealthy dynamics, isolation, defamation, masturbation, degradation, strangulation, gender neutral!reader

ships: yandere!black sapphire cookie x reader, yandere!shadow milk cookie x reader

(author's note: I accidentally turned this into a yandere thing. what the fuuuuuck)

One thing that you can expect from cookies that serve under Shadow Milk is that they are all kinds of freaky. Candy Apple Cookie is... herself, but what about Black Sapphire Cookie?

Of course he has to be charming, smooth, and witty. It's much easier to get cookies to listen to all his rumors, but when he's behind closed doors and he sees his master fussing over ANOTHER cookie, he can't help but grit his teeth a little bit.

Master Shadow Milk Cookie's eyes tells him everything he needs to know (his words), and when Shadow Milk's eyes dilate to the size of balloons whenever he interacts with you itches Black Sapphire Cookie more than he'd like to admit.

At the very least, Pure Vanilla Cookie is his master's most hated (😉) nemesis. It was a little wird how Shadow Milk Cookie immediately offered up his bedroom to him, but whatever.

But you? You? You were just... a regular cookie! Some random plucked off the street! Just what the hell was going on, here!?

It's not shocking when Black Sapphire Cookie starts to follow you around. Not even discreetly, he will straight up approach you with an audacity and a swagger in his strut that makes you mentally prepare for what's about to come.

Shadow Milk Cookie just thinks it's soooo amusing. "Looks like you got a little admirer~!" he singsongs at you. Perhaps it's a good thing that he isn't pissed off, but you're not aure if his amusement settles your worries any less.

I think that Black Sapphire Cookie will start to change his viewpoint from 'outrageously jealous and silently sneering at you' to 'dangerously interested' once he sees his microphone's gaze snaps towards you whenever you're in sight. Well... how peculiar is that~? Perhaps there was something to you, after all...

When Shadow Milk Cookie finally allows you to leave- I mean when you finally decide to leave the Spire to visit your friends in the Cookie Kingdom, he tags right along! From afar. Secretly.

He's been watching you for weeks. He's even put on a cute, innocuous little disguise to blend in with the really bland and dull locals. He finds out who your friends are, those that admire you as a special cookie, takes notes the restaurants you frequent and all your interactions. Each day he tails you and leanrs more about you makes him more eager, makes his cock harder just imagining how he's going to ruin it all for you.

Well... uh, ahem. Let's ask Shadow Milk Cookie's permission first. You are, unfortunately for Black Sapphire Cookie, his pet.

"Sheeeesh, kiddo. Finally, I was beginning to think you'd never make the first move. I was getting tired of watching you limp everywhere." Shadow Milk Cookie looked actually very pleased, much to Black Sapphire Cookie's relief. "Yeah, go ahead with your naughty little plan. Just be extra sure our unfortunate little puppet runs straight back here when you're finished."

Currently, Black Sapphire Cookie was inside your home in the kingdom; he found a chance to slip inside right after you left for the day. This wasn't even a part of his plan, he just wanted to blow off a little steam before the grand show.

Black Sapphire Cookie happily plopped into your bed, lazily tossing a knitted doll he'd brought with him. It was adorable, it looked just like you! It was a little worn, but it was necessary to help him control his urges before he could practice on the real thing.

He slipped his hands around the doll's soft neck, and Black Sapphire Cookie didn't bother to stifle his moan. His cock was twitching with excitement; the mere thought of him doing something so perverted in your home behind your back made it hard to hold on for long. Black Sapphire Cookie thought of every friend he would turn against you, every admirer would glare and whisper as you walked past. You'd be vulnerable, alone, and confused, all upset and you would be none the wiser. It was just so incredibly easy to run in circles around you. Shadow Milk Cookie really had to choose the most fluffheaded, oblivious little puppet to manipulate.

Black Sapphire Cookie is hissing and growling in the doll's ear,humping your blankets andnpillow with a fervor that left him breathless. The moment you ran crying and sobbing back into his master's arms, Black Sapphire would be right there at his side, gleefully taking in all of it. Hell, how about he tear his pants off and whip out his cock right then and there for you to watch? He'd get off on it, knowing that you had nowhere else to go.

That last image made Black Sapphire cum; he arched his back and hot, electric shocks of pleasure shot through his entire body as he shot ropes onto his precious doll. He didn't stop gasping and crying your name until every inch of your likeness was covered in his seed. You never looked so beautiful.

Well, what a fun ride! Black Sapphire would use your bathroom to clean hinself up before shifting into his disguise (your bedhseets be damned. You probably wouldn't even notice.)

Time to make his fantasy a reality! It's showtime!

[colapoint]

carcar!

oops i yapped quite a bit

SHIP IT!!!!

1. What made you ship it

that whole period from miami to monaco last year still feels like a complete fever dream to me. what the hell was that. how did we go from radio tantrums to them lying on that damn press conference couch in the span of 3 races. and carlos saying there is a magnet between them... an insane a completely fucking insane thing to say.

and oh how the stars have perfectly aligned for monaco to even happen. they collided in the first turn, and carlos with a tyre puncture was booted back into fucking imola. the red flag and the subsequent restart that was decided to be in starting order for the pure technicality of zhou not finishing sector 1. we wouldn't have the carcar podium and the couch moment were it not for the starting order restart, yet we also wouldn't have carlos saying the magnet line had they not collided in the first turn. insane string of coincidences.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

these two guys don't really interact much irl, but the ship really works because they are two personalities that are compelling to slap together. a lot of apparent differences that produce fun ways to clash them, yet a lot of similarities underneath that allow the pairing to evolve. obvious introvert oscar with his air of indifference, yet a rather sociable and amiable guy if you prod a bit. carlos who is often mistaken for an extrovert with the way he carries himself with confidence, but is quite a reserved guy actually. very compelling to explore the insecurities that may lie beneath both of their confident exteriors. oscar who is often slapped with the cool and rational and emotionless iceman label, yet it slips sometimes, and he will often imply that there's quite a bit going on underneath, it just doesn't naturally come to him to express much of it. carlos who is more apparently emotional, expresses it more naturally, whether he's being angry or sentimental, a very touchy feely guy as well, but is actually rather careful and rational in the way he handles many things. you can see where i'm going with this. mutually perceived differences and the truth that is often somewhere in the middle. fun to play around with.

i also like that there is a lot of variety with sexual dynamics in their fics. carcar never had a fandom designated top/bottom which tends to happen with so many ships. even in the early days when there were like 20 carcar fics on ao3 you could still find something you'd enjoy whether you preferred bottom oscar or bottom carlos or whatever. to me that is always a sign of a good ship.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

in the early days there used to be this common misconception of carlos being this insane crazy angry obsessed guy, and oscar being very unmoved very unbothered about it. but i think this view has changed now. the insanity goes both ways, a very important carcar point. i also find it more fun to explore oscar being this bothered person in contrast with his calm demeanor. this stupid carlos pisses him off and it really bothers him being so pissed off because he is "not usually like that". he is "not like him". really.

i also feel like due to these apparent differences in oscar being "unemotional" and carlos being "emotional", it is more often carlos who is written as this soft vulnerable guy, and oscar as cool and rational, which i find a bit boring. they are most compelling to me when there are insecurities and vulnerabilities to both of them and these vulnerabilities are matching or clashing or both at the same time.

ship ask game

[pomefioredove]

slowly sliding 20 dollars usd to you i think you should maybe make a tier list of some canon!yuu ships sometime or another. maybe. (you still get the totally real money if not)

coughs weakly

vilyuu. now and forever. my yuri. my OTP. every other ship is just a thought experiment or a discussion topic. they're real. vilyuu is to me what malleyuu is to everyone else. idgaf about malleus' happiness. it should've been vil instead

I WANT to say rolloyuu. because I'm obsessed w the implications. but it's rookyuu

this is where rolloyuu goes

cater x yuu whatever they're called, I've talked about this before

epelyuu #EPELCEMBER!

I don't think I have any other particular preferences. but I'll explore any reasonable canon!yuu dynamic because I love canon yuu!!

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

This will be more of a personal post sprinkled with some thoughts on AYS?!, so for those interested strictly in shipping content, you can skip this.

I couldn't help myself yesterday to wait until my work schedule was done. So I watched the first two episodes during lunch break and work, while using the keyboard from time to time to not appear offline.

And then a second time in the evening, without as many interruptions. I even texted my sister to remind her that the episodes have been released (she has JK's songs on her playlists and that's where it stops). My tone was very casual, as if I just remembered it was already up. As if I haven't actually been thinking and obsessing about that show for a year now. But that's because I can't let this online, fandom "life" seep through my other, "real" one. I've always struggled with my feelings of shame over being part of such spaces. Which is why I avoided them completely. Up until four years ago. I'm still dealing with it. I don't want to tell people that I have an interest in a kpop ship and that it's been ongoing for a few years now. It feels to foreign to the image I allow others to have of me and this kpop stuff is childish to say the least. I've fallen victim to the talking points I've argued against intellectually. But life doesn't work that way. My rational brain doesn't get along with my feelings.

So I keep my thoughts about shipping, fandoms, jikook here. And I share them with friends and people that have a connection to it. It's why I have a blog. So I can post a photo of jikook holding hands at the beginning of their journey and at least 10 people will understand it cause they like the same thing. I'm not a loser on my own here so the thought feels comforting.

I didn't have specific expectations about AYS?!, but I felt happy watching it. It was different, but a good different. Having the opporrtunity to witness them from morning till evening without any interruptions painted an interesting picture and it's the first time to see some parts of their dynamic.

They bicker, they flirt, they get lovingly annoyed, they get bored, they get silent, they get touchy. It feels more real than any 2-min clip from a Memories DVD could possibly show us. I don't want picture perfect jikook because it doesn't exist. Being in stan spaces, all I see everyday is worship, a mentality that is then transfered to the people surrounding the idol. But I don't want JK to worship Jimin 24/7 or vice versa. That's not a real relationship of any kind. I want to see them treat each other like they're just people. Which is what they did. Too bad that some have interpreted that as negative when in fact all we got were clear signs of actual closeness. And nothing beats it like Jungkook's attitude towards Jimin being sick. Shippers/supporters have clips and endless arguments on hand to explain the closeness between jikook, but honestly? That first evening in the cabin when JM was in the bathroom and subsequently the next morning should be the sole argument from now on. It can't be more obvious if it hit us in the head.

It's not about needing confirmation at every step of them being a couple. At least I don't need that. In the long run, it wouldn't even matter if they're not. What's noticeable is that they appear to be one and that doesn't come out of thin air.

Is my mood volatile these days? Yes. Actually these past few months. Do I need this show as one of those feel good series? Definitely, because there's nothing else out there to catch my attention in terms of tv content. I don't want to pick apart and poke holes and question every single line to make myself feel miserable. Everything else is too bad and I am too lame so I rely on this show for a short, temporary thing that improves my mood. I don't care about other things, doubts or worries. I really really just want to enjoy jikook doing whatever they want. I don't have high standards.