#whether it’s friends to lovers or rivals to lovers or any other trope

[misshoneyimhome]

250 FOLLOWERS FESTIVAL

“Wait… you like me?” I Jack Hughes

Summary; In the world of hockey, you share a close friendship with Jack Hughes. Yet, as your feelings for him grow over time, you decide to keep them hidden. However, when fate suddenly pushes you to confront your emotions, will Jack risk your friendship for something more?

Tropes & warnings; friends to lovers; teasing/light bullying; some sort of sadness; hidden feelings; fear of one-sided love;

Other notes; so, I'm actually starting to find writing about this lad quite enjoyable; I mean, just take a look at him! He's absolutely adorable 🤗

Word count; 1.6K

➼｡ﾟ

You met Jack Hughes for the first time nearly a year after he was drafted, when you had just started working for the New Jersey Devils organization. You had volunteered for some unpaid media tasks, eager to establish yourself in the hockey community, which occasionally allowed you to get closer to the players. And already within your first few weeks at the hockey rink, Jack immediately noticed your curious and focused expression. Without even knowing why, he felt drawn to your shy smile and decided to strike up a conversation with you.

Although his high level of confidence initially took you by surprise, you were instantly charmed by his adorable smile and laughter. And with a combination of cheesy jokes, hockey references, and a playful sense of humour, Jack quickly grasped your deep love and passion for the sport, which only intrigued him further.

You had to admit, it felt as though your friendship blossomed out of nowhere. You bonded over analysing plays, discussing strategies, and the excitement of being part of the Devils' community. And being from the area yourself, you happily showed him around, unveiling all the hidden treasures unknown to many, as you got to know each other on deeper levels.

Jack couldn’t help but admire your dedication and knowledge of hockey, finding your passion for the sport captivating – much like his own. He appreciated how you cheered him on from the side lines, occasionally donning his jersey, and noticed your unwavering commitment to following the team whenever possible.

Yet, as your friendship gradually deepened over the following years, you couldn't deny that you found yourself relishing the time spent with him more and more. His infectious boyish smile, his amusing Florida accent, and his genuine kindness all contributed to making you feel at ease whenever you were in his presence. And as you both transitioned into adulthood, you felt yourself slowly developing deeper emotions for him.

However, you kept these feelings concealed, fearing the potential risk to your friendship. Moreover, you couldn't shake the belief that Jack was entirely out of your league. He was talented, charismatic, and had a magnetic personality that drew people to him. All the girls who pursued him exuded glamour and confidence, and you couldn't help but feel like you didn't measure up.

But though you didn't align with the same interests as those girls – preferring quiet evenings discussing hockey stats over amazing dinners – Jack valued your genuine calm and laid-back demeanour. He appreciated your dedication to your work and simply relished spending time with you, whether engaged in hockey conversations or simply enjoying each other's company.

And despite your insecurities, you treasured your friendship with Jack as well, grateful for the connection you shared. You simply never entertained the thought that he could view you as anything beyond a friend. Thus, you chose to keep your feelings hidden, content with enjoying his company and offering support in any way possible.

**

However, on one fateful night, fate seemed to conspire against you.

As the arena hummed with excitement, the New Jersey Devils celebrated yet another hard-earned victory over their rivals. Amidst a sea of cheering fans, you stood, passionately supporting the team you had grown to adore, as the energy was palpable, and the jubilation of the win filled the air.

And following the game, you found yourself in the company of Jack and several other members of the Devils organization. However, as you shared laughter and conversation, revelling in the triumph, the discussion suddenly took an unexpected turn.

The girls in the group began to tease you in a playful manner about your close friendship with Jack, their words carrying a mischievous undertone. Initially, it was light-hearted banter, harmless jests exchanged among friends. However, their teasing gradually veered towards a more pointed direction, causing a blush to spread across your cheeks with embarrassment.

"I swear, y/n, every time Jack scores a goal, you look at him as though he's the only person in the room," one of the girls teased, nudging you with her elbow.

And then another girl joined in, her laughter resonating through the air. "Yeah, it's as if you're completely smitten with him or something."

You attempted to shrug off their remarks with a nervous chuckle, but instead, it only seemed to encourage their teasing further.

"I think she might actually have a bit of a crush on him," one of them remarked, her tone laced with mock seriousness.

And then the realization hit you like a ton of bricks, and you felt your cheeks flushing even warmer. No matter how hard you tried to conceal it, you couldn't deny the truth in their words.

"Oh my gosh! She does... y/n's got a thing for Jack Hughes, how adorable," the first girl exclaimed, her laughter ringing through the hallway.

And nable to bear the embarrassment any longer, you hastily excused yourself from the group, muttering something about needing to freshen up. You spun on your heel and hurried away, seeking to put as much distance between yourself and the teasing girls as possible.

"Wait, y/n, hold on," Jack called out to you, his voice gentle but insistent.

But just as you thought you had managed to escape, you felt a gentle hand on your arm, halting your retreat. Turning around, you were met with Jack's concerned gaze, his expression soft yet urgent. Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to look him in the eye, the embarrassment still blazing hot on your cheeks.

"Y/n, don't walk away like that..." Jack pleaded, his grip tightening around your arm.

"Please, Jack," you attempted to shake him off, your voice barely audible. "I just want to go home, okay? You can just go back to your friends."

"What, no,” Jack's voice betrayed confusion and concern. "I'm not done talking to you."

You sighed, giving in slightly, pulling your hand to cross your arms across your chest. "Fine, then let’s talk?"

"I want to know about what they were saying back there," he said, his tone grave.

You bit your lip, feeling the blush returning to your cheeks, your arms tucking yourself tightly in a defence. "It's nothing, just silly chatter among girls."

Jack shook his head, his brows knitting together. "It didn't sound like nothing. They were discussing you and me, weren't they?"

You shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. "They... they were just teasing. It's not important." You tried to force a light chuckle, but your heavy breaths failed you. 

"Y/n," Jack said softly, his thumb brushing over the back of your hand, sending shivers down your spine. “Talk to me.”

Your heart raced in your chest as you struggled to find the right words, tears pressing on, yet you managed to hold them back. "I... Jack, I..."

He lifted your chin gently, compelling you to meet his gaze. "Wait... you like me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

You swallowed hard, feeling the intensity of his stare. "Yes," you admitted quietly. "But I understand if you don't feel the same way. I mean, look at me, I'm nothing like the girls you're used to..."

Jack's expression softened; his thumb moving to trace gentle circles on your cheek. "Y/n, I don’t want you to be like those girls. You're not like anyone else I know. And that's what I like about you. You're passionate, driven, and you love hockey just as much as I do. You're not just some random girl to me, you're my best friend."

Tears welled up in your eyes, overwhelmed by his words. "But what about those other girls? The ones who are always around you, the ones who..."

"They mean nothing to me," Jack interrupted, his voice firm. "The only person I care about is you."

You searched his eyes, finding nothing but sincerity and warmth reflected back at you. And in that moment, you realized that there was a chance that everything was about to change.

"Jack," you whispered. "I like you. More than just a best friend."

A smile spread across Jack's face, and before you knew it, he was leaning in, his lips meeting yours in a gentle kiss. As you melted into his embrace, you couldn't help but think that perhaps, just perhaps, this was the start of something truly special.

And in that tender moment when Jack's lips met yours, all your worries and insecurities seemed to slowly dissolve. There was only the two of you, wrapped in the warmth of each other's embrace.

You leaned into the kiss, relishing the sensation of Jack's lips against yours, his gentle touch sending shivers down your spine. It felt like a dream come true, something you had only dared to imagine in your wildest fantasies.

And as the kiss deepened, you were swept away by a rush of emotions – joy, relief, and an overwhelming sense of love. It was surreal to believe that Jack felt the same way about you, that he saw you as more than just a friend.

Then breaking away from the kiss, he looked into your eyes with a soft smile. "I've wanted to do that for so long," he confessed, his voice brimming with sincerity.

And you couldn't help but smile back, feeling a wave of happiness wash over you. "Me too," you whispered, your heart overflowing with love for the man standing before you.

In that moment, everything felt perfect – the world around you faded away, leaving only the two of you lost in each other's embrace.

"So, you like me too, huh?" You chuckled lightly, breaking the silence that enveloped you.

"Yeah, probably have for a while…" Jack's admission was timid, his voice betraying a hint of vulnerability.

"You should’ve said something," you spoke almost nervously, feeling a little ridiculous for not having had the courage to speak up sooner.

"Sorry, I was afraid you didn’t feel the same…" Jack's words were filled with regret.

You couldn't suppress a light laughter, the tension dissipating. "Jack, how could I not feel the same? Everyone likes you."

"Told you, to me you’re different. But I’m just happy that you do like me… because I’m crazy about you," Jack confessed, his words filled with sincerity and warmth.

And with another kiss, you sealed the newfound relationship, the warmth of it echoing the promise of a future filled with love and happiness.

[golden-hearts-silver-tongues-if]

Demo: (Release Date: when i figure out twine, and then a week)

Life was never easy, but the day you first found your talent for less than legal practices, it certainly got easier. And when you finally got taken in by a nosy noble who could appreciate your talents, life finally seemed like it was looking up. But the highlife isn't all it was cracked out to be. You had to leave behind your best friend for this chance at the high life, and that's not even to mention all the enemies you've made while in service of the person who brought you in. Was it worth it? Can you keep your skeletons nice and tidy in your closet? Or will the past prove to have a few too many chips on its shoulder. ------------- This is a game about many things. Struggling to find meaning in your own life, trying to cling to those you care about as life drags you apart, and what can happen when you don't make peace before the storm. You take on the role of a peasant with a talent for the illegal, be that quick hands or a quicker wit. After years of dealing with the dirt of life to make a living, you get taken in (read, bought into service) of a noble who claims to have nothing but good intentions. They want to expose other nobility for their wrongdoings while climbing the ranks themselves. Will you be willing to remain loyal to their cause, or is money truly the only thing motivating you? That remains up to you to decide. Golden Hearts, Silver Tongues is rated 18+ for explicit language, mature themes, drug and alcohol use and abuse, violence, thoughts and mentions of suicide, self-harm, death and mental trauma. -------------

Customizable MC, choose your gender, pronouns, appearance, sexuality, romantic attraction, personality, history with some characters, potential disabilities, and most importantly, how you choose to go about your crimes. Are you a smooth talker, or someone who prefers actions over words?

Romance one of four available ROs? Will you fall back to your tumultuous Ex/Ex Best Friend? Or perhaps your new coworker or Boss? Or perhaps the most dangerous, the Ex-Noble hunting you down?

Struggle with Morality as you get pulled in different directions. What constitutes good anyways? And let's be honest, do you even care about being good at this point?

Resolve all of your lingering issue, before choosing how to move forwards. To remain trapped by the chains of your past, or to cast it all off and move forwards, unburdened. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

-------------

Romance Options:

The Rival (F, Cis or Trans selectable) - Your one and only friend in the early days of your life, and perhaps something more? You two grew up together and often were the only ones each other had. Perhaps she was your best friend, your lover, or someone you were so close to you could consider them family. Regardless, whatever she was, she isn't anymore. A fight caused a rift between you two, and now you two aren't on talking terms, much less anything else. So, when she shows up to one of your jobs, to steal the same items no less, is it any surprise things don't go well? Tropes - Exes to Lovers, Childhood Crush, Exfriends to Lovers, Rivals/Enemies to Lovers

The Boss (M, F, NB selectable) - The person who scooped you off the streets and showed you what the high life was like, and all you had to do was steal whatever they told you. Simple enough, right? You'd think. In practice, it seems like they keep upping the ante on your targets and at some point, you have to wonder whether or not this is all born out of good intentions. Though, with the looks they keep sending your way, perhaps more than just your skills have captivated them? No, that couldn't be true. After all, a noble and a peasant would cause far too much of an uproar for the already tumultuous figure that is your boss. Right? Gender Footnote - If NB, the Boss will be Agender. Tropes - Forbidden Love, Age Gap, Nobility x Peasant, Employer x Employee

The Coworker (M, Cis or Trans selectable) - A surprise your boss sprung on you just a few months ago, he is another noble who embraced your Boss' rhetoric and now wants to help reveal the darker side of the Kingdom. It's a shame he doesn't know what he's doing, but luckily (or unluckily), that is where you come in. Tasked to show him the ropes of thieving, you must figure out how to teach this eager learner what you've known all your life. He might not have quick hands, nor can he lie to save his life, but if there's one thing, he knows it's how to get up after a failure. And that surely has no correlation to all the gifts of his you've ignored over the years, right? Tropes - Coworkers to Lovers, Master x Apprentice, First Crush, Himbo, Potentially Grumpy x Sunshine

The Baron (M, F, NB selectable) - Hate is a strong word. Luckily, the Baron is a strong person. The first major noble your Boss ever sent you after, they by far had the hardest fall from grace out of anyone you know. Going from ruling an entire quarter of the Kingdom, to being nothing more than a rogue knight hunting you down for revenge. It's a shame they still have so much money at their disposal to hunt you with, and for all that it's worth, they are very good at finding you. Catching you, not so much. You always manage to just barely evade their capture....surely nothing to think about. Gender Footnote - If NB, the Baron will be Genderfluid. Tropes - Hate-Hate Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Murder makes people hot, Villian Route, Potentially Redemption Arc

------------- Note Zone: Hey there! Thanks for reading all the way through this. This little place down here is where I plan on placing things like links in the future, and also any notes on progress or big topics and stuff that comes up. For now, all asks are welcomed, and once again thank you!

[alohaasaloevera]

guys I’m honestly happy that klance didn’t become canon because I love how as a collective group of people we utilize our right to explore what could have been and create the most smoking hot scenarios ever and yes I obviously wanted more of their friendship growing into this bond stronger than anything else in the universe especially since Voltron has teamwork and family as one of their main lessons but that’s more of a development issue all around…ok besides that there’s something about klance where it provides this PERFECT environment for shippers to inhabit and FEAST upon. With klance, there’s a solid, engaging dynamic between the two set up, which is this weird one-sided rivalry that stems from Lance’s insecurity and his need to prove himself of his worth and Keith literally being one of the best pilots for his age but since they’re flung into space and chosen to become child soldiers in this 10,000 year old intergalactic war so they have to work as a team which surprise surprise forces them to put aside their differences and work as a team which is shown a bunch when Keith needs to become a leader and Lance steps up as his right hand and and they have some kinda tender moments that won’t definitely drive shippers into a shipping craze (or worse) SO YEAH you could see why people loved it with all the classic tropes and mutual growth all that schmooze (ALSO THEY KNEW EACHOTHER BEFORE THE MAIN PLOT??? Well maybe not like friends or even acquaintances probably BUT HELLO?????? EVEN MORE SHIT TO EXPAND ON????), and they share multiple scenes that could be interpreted as romantic but there’s no explicit romance. This environment is fucking dripping drenched flash flooded cornered by 1000ft tsunamis in all directions with potential for shipping, so when people saw this relationship between two bros with this sort of homoerotic (IM JOKING. Kinda.) unresolved tension towards each other and the POTENTIAL for a good slow burn rivals to friends to lovers, it was to no one’s surprise that they went APESHIT. Klancers made countless different ways where they get together whether it be pre-Kerberos, post-gettingthefuckoutofearth, the start of the show, the end of the show, after the end of the show, right smack in the middle, anywhere, anytime, for who the fuck knows why just ANY REASON DAMN IT it doesn’t really matter because people were pumping out fanfiction or fan art or any fan media of klance faster than I spit out a raw baby carrot after chewing it for one second and now we’re all wallowing about how it should have been KICK but the thing is that if VLD did KICK all the way to Altea, the production of these beautiful stories that so many people have and still are coming up with about klance kissing in midst of a battle, helping each other with their crippling nightmares, smiling for the stars or some other sad premise, and whatever is nestled in his pulse��just like uhhh the amount of fics like these that go into great detail about Keith and Lance in these random situations that end up with them getting together being produced would go down to some degree because of the fact that if the people’s beloved sharpshooter and samurai had ended up together like we had wanted, and the majority was satisfied with the ending the creators had given, people would have shifted from writing about “How could Lance and Keith get together?” to writing about “What could Lance and Keith do now that they’re together?” And like. There’s nothing wrong with that honestly I would be HYPED if klance was ever canon but there is profound beauty in the way the community is able to create more from less and turn a show that went to shit in the last few seasons shine even brighter than it did at its prime. Like I wouldn’t trade my favorite fics 4 anything.

—

Ok another little thing I’m going to put here: With Klance, all I wanted was for them to be great friends 😭😭😭. I tend to prefer klance becoming canon in later seasons or at the end or even an open ending with no confirmed romantic relationships because I am a sucker for character development and the idea of Keith and Lance both harboring these feelings that at first are just admiration and respect but then escalate to yearning for one another or becoming close friends at the end of the show and getting to imagine anything I want post canon is EVERYTHING if you give me S7 Garrison klance I’ll keel over and thank you like I was a second away from dying of thirst and your gift was a truck load of water

[bluesidez]

OKAY I HAD TO HIT YOU W THIS BC I NEED THIS TO COME TRUE 🗣🗣‼️‼️

AcademicRival!Miguel x AcademicRival!reader

where they will do quite literally ANYTHING (legally) POSSIBLE to one up each other.

whether their petty rivalry began in high school or first year of uni/college, IDC- but they absolutely despise each other.

and!!! at some point down the track, they forgot why they were beefing in the first place, only for it to start stemming from a place of 'jealousy' (yk how sometimes jealousy is actually feelings of romantic interest in disguise,, yeah, that) and it gets to the point where they are quite literally making it all their friends' problem bc of it.

like i can imagine reader drinking something that Miguel sees and Miguel going 'i need to have this all the time and sell it out so reader can never have any' and Peter is like '???', or reader finding out Miguel got a certain mark and goes 'nobody speak to me for a month i have to understand everything about quantum physics before that smug asshole opens his mouth' and Jess is like '??? just kiss, fym??'

and then they finally have a moment where they have no choice but to rely on each other- whether Miguel's car breaks down on the side of the road reader happens to drive by and she takes him to his, or if reader desperately needs help in a situation and immediately calls him bc she knows he'll pick up bc she needs scary dog privileges and thats HIM so then they end up having a moment of reflection together with either super fluffy smut or absolute debauchery and fluffy aftercare i totally dont mind either way.

IDK do you know what i mean??? 🫣🫢🤭

anyway LY BLUE-BLUE, thank yew for letting me ramble on 🤍🩵

Are you asking me to write this? 🧐 (I shall add it to the pending ideas list just for you 🐰🩵)

I wrote that as a reply as soon as you sent it, but now I have more ideas that I wanna yap about to go along with this.

SO!! You already have a rivals, enemies to lovers trope going on. What better way to make it even more fun than to add the stoic x chatty dynamic???

Like I’m imagining the reader and Miguel first meeting in middle or high school. He’s a transfer student that’s immediately making the top grades and people are like where tf did he come from?? Reader doesn’t really think anything of it, she just carries on with her school life, chatting away (and getting in on the gossip about Miguel).

It’s not until he ends up in the same class with reader one semester (probably in high school) that reader is finally able to be in close contact with him. He’s so quiet and a little boring, but there’s always random girls coming in and out of the classroom to attempt to chat to him.

They’re always bringing snacks or sweets for him. He always turns them down with a “No thank you. I don’t like chocolate.” type of response. (What he thinks to be polite and cordial)

The guys in the class think he’s a huge jerk. The girls in the class still fond over him. You think he’s an oddball, a weirdo. But you really have no solid information to justify it.

It’s not until one day that the teacher asks this obscure question that he pisses you off. (I havent thought of a weird question yet tho). Everyone else has given crude or stupid answers, riling each other up and joking. You raise your head to give the most out-of-the-box, yet plausible answer that leaves the teacher impressed and the class laughing in shock. Miguel scoffs and debunks it so fast, that you start to feel like one of his rejected groupies. If you thought the laughter for your answer was loud, the laughter for his sounds like the crowd in a football stadium.

You’re embarrassed but you don’t really show it. You just brush it off and joke with everyone else like usual.

Then, one of the class’s first huge tests come. You’re gunning for the number 1 spot although you figure it won’t be too hard with half of the room being class clowns and the other half not giving af. You read over the material once and already have a good grasp on it, so you joke around with everyone else. There’s rap battles and TT routines. You guys even manage to get the teacher in on some of them. From the front of the room, you can see Miguel glancing back at you with such a sour look on his face. Wtf was his deal??

Test day finally comes. You’re the first to turn yours in with a smug smile on your face. You even take a nap until the next bell.

You’re on cloud nine for about a good week. Although, every time you open your mouth in class, Miguel looks like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Then, the time came for the teacher to hand out the papers. He was pretty theatrical and loved to announce who got the highest score.

You were gearing up for him to say your name. And you don’t know of you’re crazy, but you’re certain your mom didn’t put “Miguel O’Hara” on your school registration form.

You frown as you come back to reality, watching as teacher handed him is paper. From your seat, you can see the bright red 100 in the corner, a smiley face to adorn it.

Then the teacher hands you your paper. A 99.5. Just 0.5 points from a perfect score. And what you got points taken off for is something so ridiculous that you could scream.

You can see him in your peripheral as you chat with the other students about the answers. Just as you discuss your silly mistake you take a small look at him. He has a faint smirk on his face, as if to laugh at your downfall.

From then on, you decide that it’s a war.

[and obviously, the story would travel with them as they grow. Once they’re adults, I can imagine Miguel to still be this same stoic, yet more approachable person who has had a ROSTER of hookups and a reader who’s still so flirty and chatty, yet can’t find a good partner to save their life. The dynamic of him knowing exactly how to make reader feel good verses reader being overwhelmed for once would be sooooo good]

What do you think Lexie-bun?? 🥸

[siriustar8]

Just saw your post and I was wondering how you would write any of your ships confessing. Like how would they realise they're in love? How would they tell the other?

I'm about to go on a Long Rant so, bear with me !

- Jegulus, for me these two had to build a sense of trust and friendship before confessing their feelings. James has a bad history with coming off too strong and Regulus' insecurities make it hard for him to jump headfirst into anything without overthinking it. So regardless of how smitten they are with each other, they start off slow and gentle, work their way up to stealing glances and touches and feeling hopeful about their feelings being reciprocated, and then they'll have a chat about it, confess in the astronomy tower while stargazing and sharing the softest of kisses (can you tell I'm obsessed with them?)

- for Wolfstar, I am a firm believer in them falling in love at first sight, but not being able to pinpoint the feeling due to their young age. So the moment they start to understand what causes their hearts to beat harder when they're too close or why they simply can't take their eyes oof of each other, they are a tangle of limbs and would confess after a steamy makeout session. I also like the friends with benefits to lovers trope, especially when it's Remus pining and Sirius not realizing how in love he is. But overall I'm a firm believer in Sirius confessing the SECOND it makes sense to him. He's just not the type to think it through beforehand.

- Dorlene 🥰🥰🥰 I love the rivals to lovers trope with them. Whether it's quidditch or school, both of them are too talented and too brilliant, and confuse the excitement they feel around each other with a competitive streak. Up until the moment one of them is dating someone else, and the bitterness and jealousy they feel is too distinct to be mistaken for anything else. Cue the pining, then hopefully the kissing and dating because for me, they are made for each other in every possible way.

-Rosekiller are friends with benefits. They are both too unhinged to start it off in any other way. They're paired up on their first year with Regulus, becoming instant friends, wreaking havoc together. Then they start to grow and discover themselves, and nobody is better for them than each other. But after years of them fooling around without feeling the need to date or sleep with anyone else, they figure out that they're basically dating already, and they just settle into it more comfortably.

- For lily, I see her as a lesbian, but I'm still discovering whether I prefer her dynamic with Pandora or Mary. Maybe both. But yeah, I don't really have any specific thoughts about it yet.

And that's it !!! This was very fun to do, so thank you for this ask 🥰🥰

[absolutesilly]

Another fun question to answer when you’re in the mood, what trope does FengQing fit in? A lot of people like to say rival to lovers but the thing is… these two can’t stand each other 😭 I feel like the fandom keeps forgetting these two seriously don’t like each other before the XL and MQ reconciliation (YES I SAID MQ AND XL ONLY, I just don’t think the f-f-friends part is directed to fx lol) For example, you know matchablossom from sk8infinity, those two bicker a lot but they’re genuinely best friends since young. Fengqing is nothing like that of the sort ☠️☠️☠️

fx has stated he doesn’t like mq because he’s a moody overthinker and looks down on him lol. And mq doesn’t like fx because he feels attacked by him all the time and his unwavering blind loyalty to royals. Anyways, they’ve said awful mean things to each other throughout the story and to see the fandom go “OMG HES SO MEAN TO HIM! Why would you ship them????!” “THEY HATE EACH OTHER”

like…. Duh? That’s the appeal 🙄 hear me out, hence why I believe they’re “almost” the perfect example of enemies to lovers lol.

hi hi!!! this is SUCH a good question!! these two are a bit hard to place! i’ve often called them rivals to lovers, but they definitely have more animosity than your usual rivals to lovers ship! (especially matchablossom, who as you mentioned are best friends despite their bickering… i think any similarities between the two ships are mostly aesthetic lmao, they’re verrrrrry different when it comes down to it)

there’s definitely a rivalry between them—as we see with the competition between them and their followers every year in the lantern battle—but most normal rivals can meet in public without trying to physically attack each other lmao. i think many people are too quick to gloss over the fact that they REALLY do have a LOT of genuine bad blood for most of their history! they’re not just in competition with each other, they hate each other!

i think that my own hesitancy to call them outright enemies to lovers is the fact that in spite of all this animosity, they are generally fighting on the same side of things! working under prince xie lian, serving as the two gods of the south, and joining forces to try to protect xl after his third ascension—they’re ALWAYS forced to team up! i generally associate true “enemies to lovers” with being on opposite sides of some big conflict.

in addition to working together, it’s clear that they don’t view each other as their “greatest enemy”—ie. they easily join forces when they believe there is a bigger or more pressing threat. hua cheng is the greatest example of this; it’s clear their distaste for him far outweighs their dislike for each other.

a lot of this may come down to my own personal definition of “enemy.” but i think what really makes me pause is the fact that it’s obvious neither of them has ever actually wanted the other one dead! whether they’d like to admit it or not, they cannot live without each other. we repeatedly see them save (or at least try to save) each other from danger, and in spite of all the hatred between them, they ran the south together for 800 years without either one ever genuinely trying to get rid of the other. (contrast this with yin yu and quan yizhen, who were tasked with running the west together… that didn’t work out!)

rivals to lovers doesn’t feel quite like an apt description to me, but neither does enemies to lovers. the more i think about it, the more i want to make up a category of my own, which is:

coworkers (derogatory) to lovers!

the enmity that can exist between two coworkers is something that is so sacred. sometimes you work with people who you really fucking hate! but my god. you work with them anyway, because you have to. and sometimes you accidentally work REALLY well together, in spite of everything. and sometimes, you get a new, even worse coworker that makes you realize the coworker you thought you hated actually isn’t so bad. maybe you like them. maybe you even love them.

[racinggirl]

✨ the best time for new beginnings is now ✨

I'm back to writing, and I couldn't be happier about it! With university finally done with, I'm coming back to tumblr with a clean slay. I've made an overview for you so you'll know what you can request (anonymously or not).

Drivers I write for

🌸 Lando Norris

🌸 Charles Leclerc

🌸 Daniel Ricciardo

🌸 Oscar Piastri

🌸 Pierre Gasly

🌸 George Russell

🌸 Carlos Sainz

🌸 Max Verstappen

Trope examples (but not limited to)

🌼 Friends to lovers

🌼 Enemies to lovers

🌼 Forbidden love

🌼 Fake relationship

🌼 Holiday romance

🌼 Secret identity

🌼 Rivals

🌼 Love triangle

🌼 Dark secret

etc...

I will most likely create some sort of small vision board for every story, so if you have inspiration pictures or a vision you have in mind, don't hold back to send it along with the request. I'm going to try to post a request each week, but that really depends on the amount of requests I'm getting. So if you want to see more of my writing, send more than one request 😉

I DO NOT WRITE:

🥀 Smut only

🥀 Huge age gaps

🥀 Any other relationship than hetero (I'm NOT against LGBTIQ+ at all, I just don't feel comfortable writing it)

🥀 Some things might have been forgotten, but I’ll tell you immediately once you’ve sent the request whether or not I’ll be able to write it

My previous works

Old Masterlist

[another-lost-mc]

Which romantic tropes do you think suit your ocs?? :3

Oh, there are SO MANY. I love tropes and AUs. 🤭 The demon OCs all work well for anything involving hurt/comfort or angst. Some of the angels are better-suited for lighter-hearted fluff or feel-good tropes. I also like the remixed version of these tropes where MC/Reader is the adversary/antagonist for a change of pace.

Desperate kiss/love confession in the height of conflict/battle because they think you (or they) are going to die

Drunken or overheard/unintended confessions (in person or texting), bonus points for miscommunication angst and making up later

Sick or injured hurt & comfort

Gruff/mean characters being soft or protective towards their crush

"Forbidden" love or secret relationships (business/political rivals, detective and suspect, boss/employee or other power imbalances that complicate things)

Friends-with-benefits or sugar daddy arrangements/sex workers and clients where one of them catches feels

Age gaps (ageing bachelor meet-cute)

Enemies-to-lovers (academic or competitive rivals, bad first impressions leads to sexual/romantic tension, etc.)

Love triangles, with happy or angsty potential depending on whether some sort of polyship is negotiated or if someone ends up heartbroken. :(

Childhood friends that reunite as adults (angst with a happy ending potential if they originally parted on bad terms, or if they meet again in less than stellar circumstances)

Fairytale AUs: true love's kiss (including one of them being stuck in an alternate form/body), strangers-to-lovers meeting on an adventure, hero and villain that somehow fall in love

Monster AUs: vampires/werewolves/fairies/other mythological creatures. Remixes of this might include things like, "I accidentally summoned a ghost/demon and now they won't leave me alone" or the skeptic that doesn't believe the monster-character is real

Soulmate AUs: red string of fate/name or matching birth mark

Omegaverse AUs: mistaken identity (the friend I thought that was a beta is actually an alpha or omega!), surprise rut/heat cycles triggered by the other person (fuck or die with a twist)

There's literally so many potential options for each OC, it'd take forever to list everything that comes to mind. 😂 (If any of the specific tropes catch your eye, I can elaborate on how I might write a story with various OCs using that trope.)

[wonwoonlight]

im just wondering what kind of romantic trope that you think suits with each svt members?

(im sorry if this sounds like a request, its okay if you're not answering this)

HIII don't feel sorry about this omg i love this kind of asks tbh!!!! makes me think about writing and stuff hehe but personally, these are my thoughts:

cheol: strangers to lovers, friends to lovers, anything that is soft, mature love in which he feels safe playing childish bc his partner knows it's all just an act!! a dynamic in which the couple would know when to be playful but immediately gets into it when the situation calls for maturity.

jeonghan: exes to lovers (for some reason if i have an ex2l trope it's always him on top of my mind), brother's best friend (this man too loyal for his own good), rivals to lovers <3

shua: childhood friends in which he doesn't even realize he's been into them bc he thinks it's just obvious that he needs to take care of his friend lol his dumbass thinks it's all platonic when everyone can tell it's not he's in denial

junhui: friends to lovers, cowokers to lovers, roommates to lovers? anything that is somewhat slow paced and happens naturally, that one day just clicks to him that oh... this isn't platonic, is it? unlike shua he isn't in denial even tho he might be oblivious

hoshi: playful love, like introduced from a friend kinda trope!!! i feel like his character would be more open for a love in the first sight kind of thing, and he falls quick and deep. it'd be any trope that, at some point, would be filled with doubts because: are we moving too fast? do we actually understand each other? because hosh can sometimes be too playful for his own good despite his well meaning heart

wonwoo: ah... i can write an essay about his bc he's essentially my muse lol. but wonwoo definitely fits the slowburn trope no matter what title OC has. Whether they're friends, coworkers, friend's sibling, etc etc, it doesn't matter bc to him it only matters that they actually know each other; if it happens, it happens. His character definitely fits the silent pining kinda trope, in which no one even realizes he's into OC until he decides to actually show it. or, the other way around, i feel like he might act oblivious to OC's pining if he doesnt reciprocate the feeling.

jihoon: bestfriend or childhood friends to lovers!!! i feel like his characters fits more into steady, long lasting relationship if anything. so it has to be someone he already knows rather than in the moment kind of thing. perhaps even ex2lovers bc when he loves, he loves long and deep so it's never gonna be easy to move on even though he keeps on telling himself he'll be happy as long as they're happy

seokmin: this is basically my falling flowers trope but unrequited love in which he comforts OC because he's a good friend like that. perhaps he doesn't feel anything in the beginning, perhaps he does, but he really just wanted to comfort OC but things get out of hands bc he's too kind for his own good

mingyu: a trope in which he takes OC for granted bc he thinks their relationship (platonic, fwb, whatever) is a given and when OC has finally had enough and tried to leave that's when he starts to realize what OC really means to him so he tries to win OC back <3

minghao: like wonwoo, he fits the silent pining kinda trope. he thinks he's being subtle, but everyone knows he's in love even though he's not excessive with it. he has reasons for holding himself back though: OC is off limits, whether OC is a friend, his best friend's sibling, or even a friend's ex (!!) he's fine loving from afar until he isn't

seungkwan: this is also one of my fics but, lovers to exes to lovers lol seungkwan is a man with a mission, he knows what he wants and he's ambitious when it comes to it. he loves OC, he really does, but at some point his ambition gets to the best of him and he doesn't even realize until OC calls him out and the rest is history 😗

hansol: this is randomly out of the box compared to the other tropes but: arranged marriage. in which he's just doing it because his parents made him and it's not like he has any romance interest anyway? plus OC would already know what they're getting themselves into so there's no way it would get messy (it would). he was in it because it was his responsibility and he didn't see how it'd be bad for him until feelings get in the way aha

chan: in which he tries to play matchmaker but finds himself seeing OC in a different light the longer it goes. he knows what he wants though, so when he realizes that he's into OC, he'd try to steer OC into him instead ehe

WHEW this took much longer than i thought it would but this was so fun to do 😫 thank you for asking this!!! i purposely didn't consider any non-normal setting like soulmate au and etcetc bc it would get way too long otherwise lol

[padfootagain]

Hello everyone! It’s still hard to believe that I’ve hit 6k followers this month! I can’t believe there are so many of you interested in my silly little stories!!

In order to celebrate, I’ve asked you what kind of event you wanted, and you’ve voted for the tropes/AU event! So, here we go! I’m going to use the same prompts as a previous event, as I prepared a pretty thorough prompt list already.

I hope you have fun during this event!

Carole, what is all this new mess now?

The idea is simple: you can make a request for a character I write for (the list of characters is under the cut) by choosing a prompt in the lists that are (also) under the cut. You can add specific details if you have a more precise idea (but please, remember that I do not write nsfw content). In the coming weeks, I’ll write all your requests! I will accept a maximum of 15 requests, or as many requests as I will have received in the next 72 hours, depending on how many requests are submitted! The requests for this event will thus be open between today (August 14 2023) and Thursday (August 17 2023).

How can we request a fic?

You can request a fic by sending me a message through my inbox. I will not accept requests sent through private messages because it is very difficult for me to keep track of them that way. You can, however, request a fic on or off anon. So, if you’re a little shy, don’t hesitate to send me an anonymous ask!

You must choose a character in the list under the cut, for whom I will write a one-shot using the prompt you have chosen (the list is also under the cut). You can write down only the letter/number corresponding to the prompt you’ve chosen instead of copying them in full if it’s easier for you. You can choose an AU or a trope or an AU and a trope. You can also add whether you would prefer some fluff, angst or hurt/comfort.

You can include additional details if you have a specific idea and want to see it included in the fic ; however, I can reject a request if I don’t feel comfortable with the details you’ve added.

Your request must thus include :

A character from the list below

A prompt from the list below

The combinations for the prompts can be :

An AU only

A trope only

An AU + a trope

For example, you can request :

Caspian, modern AU

OR Caspian, Friends to lovers

OR Caspian, modern AU, Friends to lovers

If you have any questions regarding the event, don’t hesitate to ask me! Also, a little nice word in the request is always nice, don’t forget to at least say ‘hi’ :)

I hope you have fun with this event! I can’t wait to see the combinations you will choose!

Thank you all for your support! Have a lovely day! :)

Characters :

Ben Barnes

Caspian

Ryan Brenner

Logan Delos

Sam Adams (Ben Barnes’s character)

The Darkling

Sirius Black

Blackinnon

Wolfstar

Remus Lupin

Jily

Poe Dameron

Cassian Andor

Jyn Erso

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ahsoka Tano

AUs :

Modern AU

Florist/ tattoo artist AU

Soulmates AU

Neighbours AU

Roommates AU

Historical AU

Professor AU

Bookshop or library AU

Bodyguard AU

Coffeeshop AU

College AU

Painter or artist AU

Royalty AU

Coworkers AU

Parents AU

Tropes :

Only one bed

Road trip

Caught in a snowstorm

Friends to lovers

Mutual pinning

Enemies to lovers

Idiots in love

Angry love confession

Established relationship

Drunken confession

Wounded character leads to confession

Rivals to lovers

Fake dating

Secret dating 

Arranged marriage

Domestic bliss

Jealousy angst with a happy ending

Poorly-timed confession

Friends with benefits to lovers

Forbidden love

Highly romantic dance scene

Oh… oh no…

Wrong time to right time

"I'm not good enough for you."

Miscommunication

Heard the confession spoken when the other thought they were asleep

Arranged date

Almost kissing

Kissing under the rain

"Please, don't leave…"

******************************

Tagging a few people who might be interested (aka people in the taglist...) : @wolfbrideinhiding @sergeantbuckybarnes @wolfmoonmusic @reg-arcturus-black @idek-what-to-put @kpicard @rhapsodyonthethames @intothesoul @pat-sirius @rockintensse @budugu @sayumiht @hells-escapees @omgrachwrites @cloudbroomblog

[emberwood-if]

Ooof I dunno which RO to go for 😩 Who would you recommend? I'll go for whoever you pick

I love that I made the decision difficult for you. I saw this ask right when I was writing with Perry so I choose Perry!

For context (and for any new players/followers):

Want to reiterate that Emberwood can be a romance (if you choose) but I've settled with calling the romance routes more drama, or 'angstmance' because none of these relationships are 100% healthy or pure aha...

Perry: if you like friendly, warm, nice, very 'easy' route in terms of emotion. It's by no means smooth sailing, but Perry is a very open and willing person, and emotionally in-tune with himself.

Route: friends to lovers // daddy issues //personality switch// 'love at first sight' (if you pursue him romantically thats what it he would claim it is) // mentor/mentee relationship (which will make Perry more hesitant) // possible age gap // possible unhealthy attachment

E: I always say E is the most mature route of all of them, mostly because the main obstacle of their route is having to deal with them choosing their job >>> over anything and anyone else. They've also had been very badly burned by love in the past, so they're not eager to be in a relationship.

Route: brokenhearted by ex // lying to them // work over personal life // another mentor/mentee relationship (which is based solely on whether you choose that) // possible age gap

Alex: Alex is emotionally empty, very indifferent and does not see themself ever getting vulnerable. I think they're best for players who like the 'emotional chase.' Most of the route is trying to break down Alex's walls. They are very guarded, so it won't be easy to get them to open up.

Route: indifference to attachment // distrust // has not faced their past and doesn't want to lol // will purposely push MC away by any means necessary

Dani: Angry. Angry. Angry. Dani is very hard to please, rude, brash, abrasive but they have a heart...deep down. They care about others in their own way, and they can be surprisingly witty when they want to be.

Tropes//Themes: rivals to lovers // 'Stay away from me, I will hurt you in the end' vibes // unhealthy emotional...regulation? // morally grey //

F: F is very bright and very easy to talk to, cheerful, fun. Very sweet, I think F is very easy to love, both from a friendship and a romantic stand point. Of course, loving them actually wont be easy

Route: has never experienced love // insecure with themselves // for MC's that are on the older side, this will prove to be another obstacle due to the nature of F's past //

N: N is a hermit, quiet, doesn't speak much and has a lot of anger inside them. You won't talk to them much unless you're on their platonic and/or romantic route lol unfortunately or if you go out of your way to choose choices that are directly interacting with N.

Route: reluctant friend to lovers // never sure whether N will be gone or not // inexperienced with romance // familial issues //

K: While intelligent and very serious, K is like F in the romance aspect. While their route is heavy, it's not as heavy as say, Alex or Dani, but it's up there. But the romance is a lot more straight forward, mostly because K is straight forward.

Route: familial issues // powerful parents // has not faced their past // difficult to open up

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Greetings,

I was curious about additional thoughts on romance in Twisted Wonderland. Most of the analyses you have seem focused on how characters would react to a Yuu-sona/the MC, but what about character/character ships? Are there any such ships you think would make sense or be realistic to the characters? I'll admit to being a big fan of the Sebek/Silver ship, but like with most ships in twist there doesn't seem to be too much evidence for it in-game that a fic writer could lean on.

I want to point out that the vast majority of writing requests I receive from my audience are romantic in nature (typically involving a self-insert or the equivalent to a Yuu/Yuusona). A significant of part the non-writing request asks I receive also speak about Yuu’s relationship with various TWST boys in a romantic sense. Because of this, the romantic situations/dynamics I am asked to speak about and give my thoughts on will naturally also be in relation to Yuu, as this is a reflection of what my audience wants to hear me discuss.

It isn’t that I don’t personally want to discuss canon character x canon character ships or platonic Yuu-canon character relationships, it’s just that it’s (comparatively) not something I am frequently asked about.

As I’ve mentioned a few times before on this blog, I don’t feel too strongly about most TWST ships (I think they all offer their own interesting dynamics to explore), but I can understand why others are into particular ones. People can ship whatever they want (regardless of how “realistic” it is or not) because that’s their business, not mine 😅

Personally, I choose to view the interactions between the TWST characters and each other (and Yuu) as platonic, as I am not someone who is interested in shipping for the sake of romance, but moreso on the entertainment value I get from watching the characters play off of one another (which isn’t something exclusive or unique to romance). Because I myself don’t go out of my way to seek out interactions that could be perceived as romantic (and nor do I focus my own TWST experience on romance), I don’t really care one way or another how “realistic” a ship is or how much “sense” it makes. To me, it’s all fiction so the “realism” or the “sense” of it doesn’t matter. 

Whether a romantic relationship dynamic exists or doesn’t is entirely up to individual perception. What one person sees as a platonic canon interaction between two characters, another could see as romantic. (This is also true of canon character x Yuu/Yuusona ships; ie a lot of people think Malleus is in love with Yuu, while I believe that their relationship is purely platonic.) For example, some may just see Silver and Sebek as close friends and colleagues, and others (like the Anon that submitted this ask) may prefer to ship those two. Ace constantly dunks on Deuce in the canon, but this teasing could be taken by some people as “picking on the kid you have a crush on”. Rook often speaks in a way that can easily be interpreted by others as romantic, but whether it is serious flirting or just a quirk of his character is left up to the player to determine for themselves. There are countless other examples I could think of, but I’ll cut it short here for brevity’s sake.

Literally any and all canon interactions and dialogue exchanges between characters could be interpreted as romantic subtext depending on the fan viewing the content and what tropes they gravitate to. Even hateful interactions (ie Leona and Vil, Riddle and Floyd, etc) can be called romantic if spun a certain way in the minds of some fans (because that could potentially fuel “enemies/rivals to lovers”). Furthermore, if you’re already inclined to certain tropes (ie “childhood friends”) or really like certain ones, you will most likely pay more attention and be more responsive to it when it shows up, even if there is nothing immediately romantic about it (Trey and Riddle are childhood friends; therefore, people inclined to the childhood friends trope may perceive their relationship as being romantic). Again, it just comes down to individual perception.

Another thing I want to add in is that you don’t necessarily NEED canon to agree with you or for there to be “evidence” in order to ship characters. You don’t need to “lean” on canon to create anything. You just need your own thoughts and ideas--that’s it. You can ship the characters with characters they’ve literally never met before. You can ship the characters with characters from an entirely different franchise. That’s just the beauty of fiction; you have the freedom to express yourself and to explore many avenues, and you don’t need to always adhere to the canon or to build off of canon lore in your creations. Make the ship content that you want; no one ever said that there had to be evidence for said ship or else it’ll be instabanned from the internet or something 😅

[ben-the-hyena]

Send me a ship dynamic/trope and I will tell you one ship I ship that fits it

Enemies to lovers

Friends to lovers

Enemies to friends to lovers

Friends with benefits to lovers

Exes who still have feelings for each other but broke up and still get along

Exes who still have feelings for each other but broke up and don't want to see each other because it hurts

Exes who still have feelings for each other but broke up and are very bitter about it and jerks to each other

Age gap

Would be toxic in real life but it fits them in fiction

Always horny

ADORE each other it's always their honeymoon phase

Act more like friends than a couple but truly are a couple who love each other

Always are in conflict but truly are a couple who love each other and wouldn't have it another way

Rivals at work but openly in love when it comes to non-professional things

Employee/assistant and boss

Partners in crime

Loyal henchman and boss

More competent henchman tired of their more incompetent boss but still sticks around for a reason

Good guy and villain who make it work somehow

Romeo and Juliet

Open relationship/swingers

Ray of sunshine and angery )/creepy who can be calmed down/is not feared only with sunshine

Ray of sunshine and jerk who is good only to sunshine (and can be scolded bh them)

Super supportive and their emotional mess of a partner

Power duo in their profession

Creepy/grumpy normal and happy/cute psycho

Dumb and dumber

Sweet idiot and grumpy braincel

Overly flirty/horny to the panicking one who tries to resist/doesn't know what to do

Overly flirty/horny to the annoyed/serious one, possibly tsundere

Overly flirty/horny to an oblivious one, slap in their ego and makes them determined to have them understand

Badass/cool and nerd/shy

Conventionally attractive and conventionally meh

Size differences

Always somber/serious or angry except for their sweet angel

Very loud and self praising and the other is superior but lets them dream more or less amused

Stoic/serious/depressed warming up little by little to the one who brings them out of their shell by bringing them along their adventures and/or sharing common interests

Tall/big chill and shor(er) who needs to be on a leash

Quiet and very excited

Old married couple

Morosexuality strong

Nerds

Super popular and the outcast

Help the other deal through their trauma/heal

Heal/help each other through their trauma, possibly related to each other because they're the only ones to understand it

Brains and brawl

Soulmates

True love is eternal even beyond death

Childhood love

Teenhood love

Summer love

Student years love

Older days love

Post mortem love

Monster and human/monsterfucker

Anthro and human/furry

Undead (ghosts, vampires etc) and human/kinda necro but not that much

One will fucking kill for the other who asked for nothing and is protective

Jealous and the other feels flattered so teases

Both are jealous

Serious and/or badass one becomes flustered by the other whether the latter meant it or not

Introvert and extravert

Workaholic and chill

Sweet/chill and tsundere

Chaos enabler and the other is tired but follows anyway/tries to fix/tries to stop them

Chaos enabler and the other encourages

Chaos enabler and the other just doesn't get involved in this and tells them to have a good day

Super similar

Opposites attract

Power imbalance

Any other kind of problematic

Extremely devoted to their superior

Yandere and the other likes it

Trying hard to make the other understand they love them but they're suepr oblivious

Purely sexual, not love

Purely chaste

Love is here but they're content in not dating

Dumbasses who love each other but don't know it's mutual

Love each other without knowing under another identity

One loves the other without knowing under another identity, the other is torn by this dilemma

Polyamorous relationship

Forced cohabitation that evolves into more

Pretending to be together that evolves into being actually together

Pessimist and optimist

Super hot, mysterious and taller and super normal/cartoony, outgoing and shorter

Happy stay at home who supports worker who supports and respects them

Bodyguard

Assholes together to others

Outcasts happy to be so together

Used to be spoiled and someone who puts them back in their place

Edgy/dark and cute/colorful

Very happy of their weird lifestyle and love together the same super unconventional stuff

Beauty and the Beast

Not used to get affection and first person to give them affection, gets used to it and loves it

Flirty/horny who screams inside for being often put back in their place by the other who is amused or not about them

Flirt/horny and pure who enables the gentler/softer side of the other whether be it because they saw they were uncomfortable or too shy/panicked or oblivious or their pure aura is that strong

Drama queen and their service person/only person to handle their shit

Big softie sensible or not at that with the other

Treats their partner like a GOD spoiling them and everything and the other basks in it

Silently/secretly HORNY inside about an accidentally/unintentionally sexy one but controls themself/seems stoic on the outside

[redwayfarers]

2, 27, and 32 for the oc ship asks

ty for dropping by kels <3

2. How important is your OCs relationship(s) to their story? Would it still make sense without it? Or is their connection to this other character integral to their development?

oh very important! shipping is my way of dealing with chronic singleness and coincidentally, a lot of my ocs' romantic relationships are important to their stories! i do have some that aren't like this (mostly on my main blog - and the only character whose relationship isn't as integral as the rest is my lesbian spy daughter, renira! she has a girlfriend and that is a fun storyline to write, but her story would make sense even if she never did. that's mostly due to how renira is as a character/person and little else.)

now, it depends on the oc themself whether it's a relationship with a particular person or just a relationship by itself. for nika, it's important that the partner is either minfilia or artoirel; he does have other ships, such as with magnai and heustienne, but they're not as crucial to his development as minfilia and artoirel. for cass, it's any romantic relationship, though i'm partial to cassmel and his exile poly ship w/ sabir and nikke, because he is exploring how it feels to be in one in any universe he's in!

27. Is there a particular "trope" for relationships that you especially enjoy - e.g. enemies to lovers etc - and is this something that you set out intending to explore?

i am down particularly bad for bastard4bastard ships as well as friends to lovers <3 or rivals to lovers, but never outright enemies to lovers. also idk if this is a trope, but for personal reasons, a lot of my ships have a power exchange dynamic going on (blame iron bull for that lmao)

32. If you ship your OC with a particular canon character, then what was it about that character that drew you to them? Is it that you have a certain "type" when it comes to shipping? Or did you surprise yourself with who you felt drawn towards? If your OC is in a relationship with another OC then did you change any aspects of either of their backstories or personalities to make this work?

before i say anything else i will say that i am hugely bastardsexual and if you see any pretty, sarcastic/jaded, witty and not very nice man rest assured i will be drawn to him like a fly to honey!!! and i will not be mentioning melchior here for my own sanity, because i've bored god with that vampiric fish i think, but artoirel though....

he was. almost entirely expected as a shipping option to me. i expected to be more drawn to estinien, admittedly, but artoirel does something to my brain that estinien never did, even if i like esti very much! the way i write him leans more towards some darker sides of his personality, and that is the only change i made to accomodate nika's own; because nika isn't a nice or kind person, he never will be, nor is he noble or particularly heroic. artoirel to me feels like a more messed up aymeric sometimes, which is what i did need and what ultimately just.. clicked.

friends do send me very accurate RO options in IFs too :>

[delistravaganza]

Enemies to lovers is pretty much my go-to wlw trope. I find that childhood friends to enemies to lovers often works even better because they have a history.

Still, I have found few examples of "true" wlw enemies to lovers in series, much less in books. I have found many "don't like you much", "been a moron to me several times", "academic rivals" and even "on opposite sides of a universe-threatening war", but neither of these necessarily equate enemies.

I know that fanfiction does this trope better because it relies on what you know about the characters and their shared history, but I'm starting to wonder whether there's some kind of animosity between the trope and writing exclusively about women (or girls). It's like the phase of pure hate is never fully realized. Why? I mean, we have all these memes about women's resentment being eternal, about women's endless state of competition against other women, and then we can't have new media where the characters genuinely hate each other's guts for a while before becoming all soft?

I've found the trope to be generally better executed in mlm media (and fanfiction of course!). Sadly enemies to lovers isn't usually my cup of tea when it comes to mlm, as I favor the more tender friends to lovers trope. It's just a preference and I guess it's simply because I tend to prefer my women feral and my men soft.

As for m/f, I haven't found any enemies to lovers storyline that I was excited about in modern media. Straight enemies to lovers seems to me the most lazily executed trope ever, and it's usually just an excuse for the guy to act like a jerk. I once stumbled across a Reylo fic right after TFA and I was mildly interested in the idea, so I started reading it. It was only after some chapters that I realized that Kylo Ren had already raped Rey, threatened her and turned her into some kind of trophy wife that I understood what kind of story I was reading. I realized that, for many readers, that was what m/f enemies to lovers was about. Really fucked me up in the head, and I read lots of very fucked up stuff. But it was the fact that this story seemed to be so innocent and was virtually clueless about its message what really got to me.

The only m/f enemies to lovers that I have liked have been those in classic novels, such as Pride and Prejudice or Wuthering Heights, though arguably those aren't enemies either or aren't a romance per se. Might also be the reason why I tend not to identify with any lesbian novels unless they're not a romance per se or they're not overtly lesbian (covertly lesbian I'm an expert of).

I just don't see myself in contemporary lesbian romance books. And I find it weird that I identify more with Catradora or Caitvi, or even any cheap m/m vampire/werewolf book, than with situations I have also experienced and been a part of. It's like - it's all dumbed down, it's watered down. Not all of them, of course, but it's like the world is way more dangerous in my experience, romance has sharp edges to it, pain is often difficult to overcome, there are many shades of you that you still don't know about, and these books aren't even giving me female characters that are fleshed out to begin with.

Just a rant, just my experience, and just a bit sad that I can almost never join in the excitement of ooooh check out this new lesbian couple on this series because I dngf about them, they're barely characters to me and to the screenwriters, and I dngf about girls getting kissy and huggy without any depth to it.

[stepswordsen]

JuAli WIP doodles

So, I'm just gonna post my old JuAli doodles from November ~ April. Obsessed with them. I've been thinking about them non-stop. Judar is wearing traditional Chinese hanfu in these :) 

Here's my JuAli doodles for now <3 They're pretty messy, so I'll put them under the cut. Also I'm putting my thought rambles under the cut too. They’re snippets of thoughts I had, including ones with friends, feel free to read them if you’re curious!

Some rambles

I was considering whether I should post my JuAli doodles since I usually prefer to keep my art account for finished arts only, but I wanted to show my love for them. I still have to refine and redraw these tbh, but I'm excited to work on these in the future! 

I also didn’t know whether to post these rambles under my art or make a new post on my side blog. Well. It’s going here now. I’ll post the rest of my sketches and another rambles in another post 

The first two Judar in hanfu doodles are some of my fave drawings ever. I really want to finish this one soon...

I think Judar has red eyeliner in the manga, and the Magi anime has Judar's eyeshadow as purple? In Ohtaka's coloured arts, it looks like a more saturated red colour to me.

I like Judar with red eyeliner/eyeshadow like how Ohtaka colours in the manga. I like how the colours pop and the contrast against his design, and how it matches his red eyes. Also cuz black and red are his image/representative colours to me anyways

I want Judar to wear black, white, red, and gold hanfu... I’ve also been looking into hanfu earrings for him. I'm thinking of red and gold. I want him to have red eyeliner and black painted fingernails.

Also, in the future, I'd also like to draw Desi inspired Alibaba wearing kurta with churidar!

Some thoughts on JuAli

I love how my friends described them as besties and one-sided enemies/worsties dynamic (from Judar’s end lmfao), it’s soooo funny. I feel like they’d have a sort of Love-Hate relationship at first, like when you hate someone so much it’s love...

My friend mentioned that because Alibaba is so different and the complete opposite of him, it makes sense he doesn’t understand it, but it only shows that he’s curious and that deep inside he wants to know.

And Judar would just constantly be like “I really don't get this guy at all” and “I don't understand what he's thinking at all!” Like how he was with Alibaba on the Dark continent. I think it’s interesting how he recognized that Alibaba has qualities that draw people to him, but just couldn't understand why.

I love their Fire and Ice duality. Light/Darkness. Angel/Devil. Hot and Cold. Enemies to Lovers. They’d bicker and kiss and make out. Twink on twink violence is their love language /lh

I feel like in the early stages of them catching feelies they’d both be really awkward around each other and constantly headbutt each other… They'd always be pretty competitive with each other, but they'd warm up to each other over time.

I love their setup, I’m obsessed with them and their vibes. They’re so funny and cute… I love their dynamic, their vibes are impeccable. I could sense the sen-core with them, I love them so much.

I awaken to my final form. Meow meow mf x Empathetic, loving ball of sunshine… It's the sen-core ship formula: meow meow mf x ball of sunshine. Morally questionable/morally bankrupt x morally agreeable <3

Also I love Light/Darkness, Yin/Yang and Sun/Moon/Eclipse themed ships. And Rivals/Enemies to Lovers. Opposites contrast :)

I love Opposites Attract ships that are also combined with any of these tropes: Narrative parallelism (Yin/Yang, Light/Darkness, Sun/Moon/Eclipse tropes), Protagonist x Rival/Antagonist/Opposing Figure, Reconciliation of Opposites, Fated Enemies/Rivals, etc.

Sen-core characters/ships: being a menace to A) the world and/or B) their rival/enemy/lover.

Alibaba is the sun, and Judar’s leitmotif is the black sun (just like Douman). And he’s also technically the moon. One of my friends told me she sees him with Eclipse symbolism, which is really interesting.