#which really sucks because my main (and only as of now) ships that i write about is...well...a slow burn (infuriating/j)

[lunallamaloveshuntlow]

Guys I can't write slow burn I NEED to make them kiss NOW

[snowthedemonfox]

So what is the Alien AU exactly??? (AKA: The masterpost)

Long story short, in this AU a group of people are sent off on an AI controlled ship by 'the company' to research a newly discovered planet. Nobody in this research team gets along, which only gets worse after they accidentally capture 2 of the aliens that live there. Now they have to deal with not only their problems, but the problems this new planet is already dealing with.

Alien AU tag can be found here

Below are all the finished designs for the characters in this AU! I haven't finished all of these yet, but you're free to ask anything about the missing characters if you want to :3

Questions & Boundries:

Can I ship any of the characters? - Yes! I don't mind shipping at all. I'm a multishipper myself, and while some ships are implied in this AU (Bunnydoll, Abstragedy & Showtime), all are okay with me! - The only exception to this would be ships involving Gummi. While yes, Gummi is sentient, capable of understanding speech, and able to communicate to some degree, I do not feel comfortable shipping him with anyone. He's just friends with some of the other team members.

Can I write/draw/make something for the AU? - Of course!!! I love seeing what other people do with this AU, it really makes my day. Feel free to tag me in anything you do! I only ask that nothing NSFW is done with this AU. Please respect this choice!

Can I put my OC in your AU? - Yep!! I even made blank versions of the info cards if anyone wanted to do this ^w^ The first one is for alien characters, and the second is for team members!

Are you going to add [character]? - Depends! The entire main cast will be added, along with some side characters and NPCs, but it all comes down to if I have an idea for them in the AU. I am a slow artist sometimes, so I probably won't be rushing to get all the info cards done ASAP. Feel free to ask about any specific characters if you're curious!

How does Abstraction work? - There's two types of 'abstraction' in this AU. If we're talking about a team member, they simply get re-assigned to a different team. This is what happened to Queenie and Kaufmo. They're alive and well, just somewhere else. The company can and will re-assign whoever they want, whenever they want. - When it comes to the aliens on the planet, there is an infection spreading around that has similar effects to abstraction in the show. It's not 100% the same, but causes those infected to become extremely hostile and attack anything around them until the host eventually dies. In this AU, Loolilalu (named Candi) is infected, and is seen as a minor threat by the rest of the team. Right now, there is no known cure.

Does the AU take place in a digital world? - No, everything is real. There's no mysterious VR headsets that are making people disappear in this AU!

Why isn't anyone on the research team human? - Because I suck at drawing humans and wanted to stay close to their canon designs. There's not really a lore-related reason for this.

I'll be putting all the links for the masterpost under the cut!

Outdated/older art: ★Original Jax & Gangle designs [X, X] ★Various sketches of Gangle's original design [X, X, X, X, X] ★When your alien roommates break into the kitchen at 2:34am ★Gummi's first appearance

The more recent art: ★Bnnuy alien Jax [X, X] ★Jax sketches [X, X, X, X] ★Coloured Jax sketches [X, X, X, X, X, X] ★Gangle sketches [X] ★Little guys (baby Jax & Gangle) [X, X, X, X] ★That one time I drew Jax in the maid outfit ★ Abstragedy [X] ★A smoothie ★The consequences of our actions ★Alien AU plushies [X, X] ★Tynie [X] ★Jax's evil little sister (Jaiden) ★More Jaiden + AU Ghostly & Loolilalu ★Jaiden learns bad words ★Christmas aliens

More asks about the lore: ★AU recap ★What does Jax have to gain from this ★Where do Jax & Gangle live ★Do the aliens have abilities ★What language do they speak?

[eponastory]

Ah, Sarcastic Chorus...

Let's break down the 'I'm going to fix you' argument for Katara.

First off, no one can 'fix' anyone. Going into a relationship thinking you're going to change somebody and make them different is going to make that relationship bad. It's not necessarily toxic, but bad. Why? Because it's not your job to 'fix' the other person. The only one who can do that is the other person. You can only 'fix' yourself.

A lot of relationships fail because of these expectations.

I'm going to talk about fanfiction here for a moment since I've been writing a Zutara story. Since Zutara isn't Canon (but we really wish it was) and all, I only have what does happen in Canon and what happens in fanfiction tropes I see a lot.

In the show we get these wonderful little moments where Zuko and Katara are fighting each other (book one), and it sets a nice theme of opposites attract. The motifs are there with all the color symbolism... it's nice. That does immediately set our brains to 'oh they are so going to get together'. There are a lot of nuances to that, and it's lovely.

I'm not going to lie, Katara is in that group dynamic of 'The Heart' role, and yes, it does put a little pressure on her character to care for everyone. It's my least favorite role for a character and it's a bitch to write when you want that character to be independent.

Anyway, back to Katara. She's the mother figure, the caring and nurturing one that has to help everyone else sort out their problems while she has to internalize her own. It sucks. It really does. So when we get to TSR in Book 3 and she is practically berated by everyone for not acting like herself... she gets pissed, rightfully so because she had to help everyone else with their bullshit until Zuko finally joined. This is where Zuko becomes a foil for her.

Just to be clear, a foil is basically a character that encourages change to happen within a dynamic. It can be a group or a pairing. Usually, that character had opposite goals or a different personality. Zuko started out as the antagonist, but when he joined the Gaang, he's now a foil for the entire group.

Back to what I was saying... what was I saying? Oh yes!

So Katara is rightfully pissed because she needs to deal with her trauma when everyone is suddenly 'this isn't who you are'. No, this is exactly who she is. She is very much like her element. Water is fluid, it can be calm and it can be a torrent... which is exactly the way she is written. It's always been her, she just put everyone else's problems above her own. Now that she has to deal with her problems, it's chaotic for everyone else.

And yes, she does have survivors guilt.

That is her main problem, so now she has to deal with it. And Zuko gives her that chance.

This is getting pretty long, so I'll try to wrap everything up here.

Zuko doesn't need to be 'fixed' he's already done that himself by himself. Joining the Gaang was essentially a fresh start for him (I use that term lightly) which is why he is so awkward when he goes to talk to them at the Western Air Temple (or is it Eastern? I don't remember ahhhh. Fibro brain!) And it's so cute and I just want to hug him. I digress, but it's great.

He's got a shitty past, but he is trying to change himself even further by accepting responsibility for what he did to them individually. In Katara's case, he has to work hard for her. It's lovely, and the payoff is great. I know for sure that is what I see in their relationship. He cares so much about her that he works hard to win her trust again. Why? Because she showed him compassion in CoD, and that struck a chord in him. Her strength is her compassion when he was taught by his sociopathic narcissist father that emotions like that are a weakness.

That my dear Kat*angers is why we love this ship.

It's a beautiful dynamic between them that I would have loved to see Bryke explore, but they just gave us the most vanilla bland version of a romance they could find by pulling a D&B (Game of Thrones writers) and subverting expectations. It sucks.

TLDR version.

Katara doesn't have to fix Zuko.

[ketchupbananas]

EDIT: I learned how to make cuts. Sorry if I annoyed y'all by having to scroll through my yapping!

this is my gravity falls rockstar au! tarot card reader/psychic somehow knew about this and said I should post it so here we fucking gooo

Basically, it's a Gravity falls BillFord/billfiddlesford/fiddlestan au where instead of having a passion in physics/science etc.. ford has a passion in music!!?

- Instead of journals there will be documentaries/vlogs that they filmed for fans, which became lost media + everyone forgot about. (possibly due to fiddlefords memory gun?) they also have hidden messages. dipper found the 3rd VHS tape of ford and bills documentaries/vlogs (not sure about this take) dipper also has a passion in music but ofc he gets made fun of about it :(

- Bill comes to him in the form of unpopular/lost media music, and gradually is basically giving him instructions on how to build the portal, only for Ford to find out about the true intentions when he gets sucked inside it

- bills music is hypnotising people to worship him and that's how they got popular quickly to prepare for weirdmaggedon

- During the making of the portal with the help of fiddleford, bill makes a contract with ford to help him make music and achieve his dreams.

- They make alternative music

- Bill shapeshifts to a human form while in public to not cause any panic.

-Fiddleford later joined the band but doesn't know about bills "true form" so bill has to shapeshift everytime he's around.

- This bill is actually a little less toxic than canon, but he still can get controlling/angry when things don't go according to plan. This was a reason why the band broke up.

- Stanford and Stanley are still in touch, and Stanley visited him and fiddleford at the shack one day. But stanford is so mentally and physically exhausted from making music 24/7 + demanding fans that they get into an argument about his mental health. Fiddleford agrees with Stanley.

While they're arguing, Stanley bumps into a button, Powering the portal on, and sucking Ford in. Stanley nearly gets sucked in, but thanks to fiddleford holding onto him, he doesn't.

Ford: Makes mostly weezer and tally hall style music with some little lemon demon styled tones because of his fondness with weirdness. mainly plays keyboard/piano but also can play the guitar and sings in some songs, mostly together with bill even tho he gets shy/nervous, bill convinced him to do a duet (hes not a fruit..he's THE WHOLE FRUIT FARM)

Bill: makes The Waitress + miracle musical styled music. Wrote most songs. Writes confusing/weird lyrics but the instrumental is designed by him to distract from the meaning of the lyrics. Also slight reverse messages sneaked in ;) He is main singer and also plays an electric guitar (conveniently shaped like a triangle)

Fiddleford: Fiddleford plays guitar, and he sang in a few songs. Joined when ford asked him AGAIN for help for their first concert for mechanical stuff like lights, speakers etc (yes, fiddleford did all the techy stuff by himself with little to no help. Poor fiddleford..)

- fiddleford while watching them do their concert realised he had a passion to be on the stage and asked them to join. Bill said no at first to keep things in his control, but ford convinced him by saying it would be really good for the band since fiddle plays a banjo a lot, so he has a lot of musical experience.

- Bill is getting jealous of ford and fiddleford being the two most popular. (HE GOT REALLY F-KING JEALOUS WHEN THE FANGIRLS STARTED SHIPPING FORD AND FIDDLEFORD..)the fandom mostly left bill out despite the hypnotising factors, since the hypnotising worked for the whole band rather than just him, since he wanted ford to lead weirdmaggedon with him.. aw..

Band Logo:

that's all I have for now! PS. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE FANART OF THIS YOU HAVE MY FULL PERMISSIONS. and tag me in it bc i would love to see it!! :D

[liaa--qb]

This might sound overly dramatic, but I'm so sad and disappointed right now because of all those horrible leaks. I know they still might be false, but honestly I believe that save for some details, they are mostly true. There are few things that sadden me the most :

1. Helaemond not being canon. I know that this ship has been controversial, especially among TG, but it really had a lot of potential and was one of my favourite (still is). And I don't care what antis say, there were a lot of hints and undertones in s1 about helaemond, more than for Alicole and look, Alicole apparently becomes canon in the worst possible way. Which brings me to the second point -

2) Alicole being canon. Don't get me wrong. I like this pairing, but it would be much better and more in character if they never acted on their feelings. Not to mention that two sex scenes in ep 1 (if the leak is true) will seem too much and out of nowhere. And to include it in B&C scene with helaena walking in on them having sex right after Jaehaerys is brutally murdered is an atrocious writing decision. F*ck you Condal and whoever is responsible for this.

3) B&C made into a joke. According to the leaks, Helaena won't be given a choice, there will be some upsetting details about getting naked the children and so on..and to have her walk in on her mom having sex with a member of a kingsguard.. Again, f*ck you Condal.

4) Aemond and the brothel madame. Why would he go to the same woman who SAed him when he was 13? And he obviously felt uncomfortable around her in ep 9. And to make him cry while naked in fetal position...I also read on reddit that they will include a mommy kink with breast sucking and whatnot... but this seems way too much and is probably someone's shitty headcanon. At least I hope it is, because if true I'll vomit.

And this is only the first episode. Idk, if this turns out to be true, I'll probably stop watching and it sucks since I really like this universe and was excited about s2. Two years of waiting and for what.. Not only the shortened season but also all this garbage. We'll see in few days, I guess, but I'm not hopeful. Anyway, thanks for reading my rant. I would love to hear your opinion on this.

Ya the way heard about leaks is sooo😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭☠️ wtf they have done 😬☠️☠️

IT'S MY ANSWER FOR ALL QUES LIKE THIS FILLED IN MY INBOX CZ I GOT SAME QUES FOUR TIMES in different ways😅, so I am answering for them all but it's but long

See it's a kind suggestion from me very sweetly that it's better if you are not expecting something high from makers n watching it without any expectations because if we are hating just because they did some ships wrong then acc to that alot of changes were already done since s1, like Rhaenicent , Larys alot of things but we never had problems.

Listen I am kinda sad also but you know what..... be happy because you know Ewan and Phia are shipping helaemond🥰. They acknowledging it , loving it and adding some own elements to this ship is really amazing of them moreover just for a fan service.

Like "do it for helaemond" 😭 they are so adorable. See I knew very well that it's not gonna happen, I had a very less surity and that's how exactly it turned out.

But you know what not a single ship is going to have any good romantic future 😂 either all of them even Daemyra main centre couple is not being done well by the makers. What can you expect for others ?

because I knew helaemond had lit ceslu potential but it has to be done correctly and Ik hotd makers would ruin it or make it bad even if it was shown canon look at Alicole now. So being non canon yet addressed by makers and actors who specially said they would act on it for fan service is a kind of little serve.

To me it's like I won ( but at what cost 😭😅) but also winning well wasn't there on cards ever. Every ship is going to be destroyed by makers. see what they did with Helaegon(ik it wasn't any good already) but like I am crying on leaks ( I thought atleast this s2 helaegon would be done but better for Aegon's sake but no😭)

All ships barely are going to have small amount of time without any romantic bullshit, just in one or two scene then seperating apart n dying 😂☠️ as I said earlier so to me Ewan phia trying their own things for helaemond in background in genuinely a small cake😂. ( Atleast we have some scenes with them, idk if there would be😑😬 not expecting much)

One thing I really hate that you know they gave Juan and Cesare arcs to Aegon n Aemond making their pair up way intresting to watch. I really wish that Helaena was given the same authority or bit of freedom of exploring herself like Alicent. Sorry if someone as strictly religious like Alicent can do it then it was way easy for Heleana. And whole Borgias recreate would have been so interesting to watch.

I wish I could see Helaena scolding, shouting at Aemond for starting all this shit n hating Aegon for being a useless father after b&c. There should be a sense of of cheating or fraud when she sees her mother who claims to be a religious person but doing everything against it while she had to suffer her whole life with bad marriage.

Not seeing her any active is what which annoys me so much.

they gave her dreamer arc for Nothing just being ignored by her important family members.Phia should be awarded for her acting n carrying heleana despite of their dirty writing.

The thing is Helaemond would have been a shock and surprise more fitting for audience, making Helaena active with this part instead of doing Alicent dirty an don't even ask how I am feeling about Helaena catching Alicent and Cole . It was sooo😭🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😑

And most ironically funny thing is that same thing happened with Borgias, Cesare and lucrezia were not canon initially and never meant for canon, both actors said we will just play into into it but when I rumours started later runners had no choice to make it canon for later season 😂

So never loose hope or stop loving or hyping any of your ship or helaemond I would say because Ryan can pull any stunt any time. The way he is going I don't think he gives much f about book canon, he is doing anything he wants😂😂

So who knows... if he ever liked Helaemond he can pull it anytime 😂(I m not kidding) bcz Alicole fucking specially between b&c since s1 is so ooc I could not even describe. I am not even hardcore FNB fan but they quite messed up Alicole angst and guilt arc which could have been so beautiful. It's so inconsistent with their parts from S1 like what ?🤦🏻‍♀️

And I hate that blood & cheese should have been how Helaena is suffering instead I am afraid whole light will be thrown on Criston/Alicent fucking reveal.

no couple is gonna have any beautiful story so it's kind of better if they are just playing with helaemond behind back.

Atleast there is so much for Helaemond content and on other hand my other ship Rhaemond is literally carried by lil warriors Leo and Eva 😭 on their shoulder with that one scene for all seasons. I never gonna see them interact again😿.

And yes I also hate how Aemond is sent to back his abuser. Like they could have used any other female if they have to show his milf attraction or some kind of guilt kink something but not his groomer. It sucks he is finding comfort in her arms. Like these show runners forgot how all these characters were exactly in season1 bc such changes r so😭

Overall I would say don't leave the show just in terms for ships to be endgame as not a single ship is going to have any happy ending or any romantic drive in HOTD main focus will be on Rhaenyra, Alicent getting depressed and Daemon will be haunted 😭 but still it's your choice in the end😅 I am no one to say anything.

Now I am mainly watching for Aegon & Aemond n how other new entries like Alys, Alyn, Cregan or Addam are gonna introduced ( well who knows if Daeron is also gets his Cameo in the end )

if I am being honest just like the way I started this show after reading book without having any great expectations. It works better that way and may be for Ewanphia Crumbs for few secs if they don't cut their scenes of which I have very much doubt.

( while how I wanna see Ewan phia/Phiwan crumbs on screens in delulu mind😭😭 :

Like this is how I wanted Helaena to jump n beat the shit out of Aemond after b&c n that's how it should be bc that's his brother not any stranger, she had full right to , but there... it's complete opposite :

[ectogeo-rebubbles]

Can I have Siskarak fanfic recs, please? I've only read a few (can't remember too well at 3AM; one on the Defiant comes to mind), and I was surprised by how well the vibe worked!

Oh absolutely. 😈 Fair warning that I’m gonna rec a LOT of my own fics bc I’m shameless like that, but also because I’ve written like 25% of the Siskarak fics that exist. 😂 Of course in addition to my little ramblings, please check all the tags and summaries on these and just read the ones that speak to you! 💖 And now, in no particular order:

so, I lied, I cheated by me - My beloved siskarak novella!! 🥰 It’s an In the Pale Moonlight AU where Sisko and Garak fake an affair to explain why they are meeting together secretly all the time now, so that no one will realize it’s actually bc they’re conspiring to bring the Romulans into the war. It’s a VERY cracky premise, and I then treat the implications of that premise with the utmost severity haha. It’s a big clusterfuck of them making each other worse and ruining each other’s lives but I did aim for a hopeful ending for them and for their healthier relationships (siskasidy and garashir). I’m so proud of it, I have some planted some insane character insights into there that I truly can’t figure out other simpler ways to express/convince people of than by writing them into a complicated angsty porny ITPM-but-way-worse fic.

And Scene by Flazéda (peternurphy) - Obsessed with this one. Sisko and Garak have to go undercover at a sex club, and I am just such a sucked for fake relationship scenarios. I’m also never not thinking about the moment in this fic where Sisko muses internally on how spanking Garak’s ass with a paddle is satisfying in the same way as swinging a baseball bat.

Moonlight Still Casts Shadows by Warpcorps @spocksbeanies - This one is SO HOT. It’s post-ITPM and Sisko is continuing to compromise his morals in delicious, sexy ways to accomplish his goals. 😈 (He’s having sex with Garak to keep him happy and working for him.)

Decadence: In His Service by JA Chapman is soooo good and sooo insane and I want to read approximately 10k more words about the messy, messy scenario described. Siskarak is only a secondary ship, the main one shown is Sloan/Sisko. I don’t particularly buy into it as realistic, but this fic ask all kinds of questions and offers NO answers, and I am driven insane by it every day, I do still recommend. XD

Exaltation by @hellostuffedtiger is another good one involving Sloan and it is much closer to canon than the above hahaha. Sisko and Garak have casual sex, then discuss S31 and Sloan and how to protect Bashir.

going up, going down by me - Crackfic to the max, haha! Garak gives Sisko a blowjob in the turbolift and they get caught.

Plausible Deniability by katiemariie is really interesting and reading it helped kick off my interest in the ship! I do have some small quibbles with it bc I don’t really buy that Garak isn’t interested in Bashir or that Siskarak could actually become a sustainable romantic ship, but oh man other than that the dynamic is great here!

Captain’s Whore by @the-last-dillpickle - Garak pettily making sure everyone knows he’s Sisko’s mistress is just so fun and delightful 😂

partners in crime by anonymous surprise, it was me lmao - A tasty little post-ITPM PWP where Sisko does a bit of introspection about himself and Garak’s effect on him.

you’re a criminal as long as you’re mine by me - This might be the one on the Defiant you’re thinking of. It’s set during Second Skin. I wanted to write a lower stakes, chiller, flirtier Siskarak dynamic here and I really really like how it turned out 🥰

A few more very short fics by me:

me and the devil walking side by side

lying down with dogs

dirty little secret

never loved nobody fully (alternate Siskarak ending) (there’s also a podfic of this drabble by klb and blackglass and horchatapods… I know at least one of you is on tumblr and I can’t remember which rn)

Not super shippy but def have some fun and somewhat charged Sisko and Garak interactions:

Farce of the Prophets by @cardassiangoodreads - This one involves Garak messing with Sisko a little bit haha. It’s got those fake relationship elements I love so dearly 🥰

Dance of Fools by stuffedtiger - More Siskarak fake relationship stuff 😈 They dance 🥰

redacted by me - Garak and Sisko figuring out how to work together when they are both stationed on Starbase 375 at the beginning of s6.

This was so fun to put together, thanks for this ask, I love gushing about my fave siskarak fics 💖

[scatteredcloud]

I don’t read a ton of fanfiction but I don’t mind labru as a ship and I like longing and devotion and erotic bloodletting, use this as an excuse to infodump if you like, convince me to read :3

You have no idea the can of worms you have unleashed thank you so so much

Ok so disclaimers :

1. NSFW. Naturally.

2. Bloodletting may be putting it diplomatically. It’s blood sucking. Vampire horny style but no one is a actually vampire.

The fic takes place in the post cannon, with Kabru serving as Laios’s royal advisor. Their professional relationship has put them in proximity of each other near constantly, and the simmering obsession that Kabru has had about Laios through the story reaches a boiling point when Laios reveals that he’s become (monstrously) obsessed with Kabru.

What gets me (aside from just like. my own sexual proclivities lmao) is the imo perfect Kabru characterization. I think a lot of people misunderstand what drives him and so when they write him it feels kind of odd. Kabru isn’t a manipulator,in t like abusive sense but he is a…social engineer. And a compulsive liar. And obsessed with Laios. He’s a nice guy, but acts amicable helpful and friendly to mask his social engineering.

This fic really gets that Kabru will say things, not without meaning them, but some part of him projects an image of cool confidence and he will act subconsciously to maintain that mask - in the interest of furthering his own goals. Those goals in this fic happen to be finding plausible ways to be intimate with Laios while maintaining some sort of professional veneer. It also employs a very subtle head cannon of him dealing with intrusive thoughts (kill Laios) in a way that I find pretty authentic and endearing as someone who also deals w intrusive thoughts.

And Laios. Again, characterization is really on point. This fic plays up the like chimeraization of Laios, and it takes his hunger seriously in a way that I think a lot of other fics and the main storyline often play for laughs. It’s about the need for satiation and satisfaction, but never feeling fulfilled. His desire disgusts him, because he’s been told it should, and as king he has every thing he could ever want. But he’s still Laios, he’s earnest and truthful and awkward and what he wants is Kabru. Inside of Laios’s appetite (all meanings of the word) is deep shame and inside of that shame is the sensory seeking autism need to feed on food that is forbidden (monsters, Kabru)

Kabru occupies a space in Laios’s life in the post cannon that we don’t really see equivocated in the main story. During the story he certainly cares deeply for his other party members and values their insight 100%. But Kabru is regent to the throne. In the day in day out running a kingdom, Laios is no figurehead but he works intimately (lol) with Kabru to compensate for his lack of social graces. There’s also the like, subtextual bodyguard implications that Laios is perfectly capable of defending himself but Kabru is acutely trained in combat against other humans, making him especially useful to a newly crowned king in danger of assassination. This is what makes me ship them so hard - Kabru’s story long attempt to know Laios combined with the implications of their post cannon positions

This fic really nails desire as narrative tension in romance - the “I want to, but I cant” “I know we shouldn’t, but we are” Not just erotic/romantic desire either, the desire to maintain appearances, the desire to secure a career. This thing is only three chapters (for now 🤞🏼) but the DEPTH of this erotica is fucking hngdbbsbdbcbcndndbgjgkfkdkdbd

I don’t know when the entire fandom decided Kabru is a trans man but I do like it despite my contrarian impulses. It’s worked in so naturally and I love that its never made A Thing (I don’t even think it’s tagged for it which is what made it a nice surprise in this fic). When Kabru gets hot and bothered it’s discussed in exactly the way that I experience it which makes me just :] yayyyyyyy

This fic brings out the like, service top-ness of Laios also. I’m of the opinion that there’s not a clear top/bottom dynamic between them so I hesitate to put it in those terms but this fic gets that Kabru’s social engineering extends to the bedroom - he knows he can exploit Laois’s earnestness and takes advantage of that leverage

Anyways. I really really should be asleep. My nightly routine has been getting home from work. Lay down. Kick my feet and sigh dreamily about Kabru and Laios for hours so thank you again for indulging me

[honeysuckleharringtons]

Part Two: "Déjà Brew" ~ S. Harrington

Summary: (Then) Back in Hawkins, Reader is still reeling from the news she's just received. Turns out, sometimes the love of a mother might just be the very help you need when times are tough. — (Now) At Brew and Me, Reader struggles with the stress of motherhood and working. Turns out, a visit from her least favorite patron might be the thing she needs to cheer her up.

Pairing: Nurse!Steve Harrington x Fem!Byers!Reader

Word Count: 2,120

Content Warning: teen pregnancy, mentions of food, mentions of medical-related things, small mention of childhood cancer (not related to any of the main characters in this series), lmk if i missed anything!

Extra Notes: ngl, the writing in this chapter sucks but i promise it gets better!!

Originally Written: 10/08/2023 through 10/12/2023

honeysuckleharringtons' masterlist can be found here!

'brew and me' series masterlist can be found here!

[ Then, June of 1987 ]

You'd been holding onto the knowledge of your pregnancy for roughly two days, and since then, everything had felt upside down.

You'd looked for every reason possible to not see your boyfriend. You only spoke to your mom and siblings when spoken to. And worst of all, despite the human being growing inside of you, you felt absolutely empty.

You truly wanted to be happy about this. After all, a new human life was forming in your stomach. But the pain of anyone in your small town finding out you were a sinner, and the gossip about how you'd thrown your life away for some guy, it was just too much to bear.

So instead of facing your problems, you'd holed up in your room, lights out and window closed. You only left your room to grab snacks—which lay uneaten on your nightstand—and to use the bathroom. To your family, you were a passing ship in the night, a ghost barely seen. And just when you thought you'd run out of tears, more slipped out of your eyes and onto your pillow, which you were holding like your life depended on it.

It was sometime in the afternoon when Joyce knocked on the bedroom door. You'd cried for so long that you lost track of time, only realizing it was afternoon due to the setting sun peeking through the curtains. "Honey?" she called, barely getting the word out before gently opening the door. She must've registered quickly what was happening, closing the door behind herself in record speed. "Honey, what's the matter?" she cooed, a loving hand meeting your shoulder.

It's now or never, you thought to yourself. Pulling yourself up, you wiped the excess tears away with the pads of your thumbs. "Mom," you sniffled, the word sounding weaker than ever, "I've done a terrible thing."

"I'm sure it's not that bad, my sweet," she said, taking your hands in hers. "You know you can always talk to me, right?"

You nodded, though you were questioning if that statement really was true, considering the bomb you were about to drop on her. More tears involuntarily slipped down your cheeks, your eyes darting anywhere in the room besides her face.

Joyce ran a soft hand through your hair, clicking her tongue lightly. "Honey, I want you to know that you don't have to feel pressured to tell me what's wrong. But I am always here if you do want to tell me."

You forced the words to come out, and you were nearly hyperventilating before you'd even said them. "I don't really know how to tell you, because I'm not quite sure how you'll take it."

Her lips left a soft peck on your forehead, a silent reassurance that she was there for you. An unsteady breath exited your mouth, before you finally said the dreaded words you'd been thinking about for the last forty-eight hours. "The terrible thing is… I'm pregnant. And I have no clue what to do."

You braced yourself for impact, waiting for her to throw you out into the street or scream at you or slap you or anything really. You'd gone over every possible reaction in the book, hoping to find a rebuttal to each one.

Still, the screams never came and her hand never even touched your skin, other than the moment she pulled you into her side. "Oh, honey," she whispered, a tone of sympathy clear in the words.

Tears started to fall once again as she held you close, a gentle hand rubbing soft circles on the small of your back. You'd surely covered the both of you in tears and snot, but truth be told, that was the least of your concerns, given the situation.

"Y/N, you're gonna be okay," she reassured. "I promise, there is nothing you could ever do to make me stop loving you. And from here on out, there's nothing that is going to stop me from loving this child. I'm going to be here for you every step of the way. Okay?"

Through your crying, you managed to ask, "You aren't mad at me?" Genuine confusion took over you at her response to the news. You'd been convinced she'd be angry, never considering that she was the one becoming a grandmother.

She clicked her tongue again. "No, I'm still very frustrated with you for doing something this irresponsible. But that doesn't mean I don't love you or this baby."

It felt like all the blood had drained from your body as you lay practically limp in your mother's arms. The air was heavy as she waited for you to say something, anything, but the words never came. Words seemed a million miles away as the discovery of life inside you started to feel all too real.

Some time passed before she spoke again—whether it was two minutes or two hours, you didn't know. Her hand rubbed soft lines over your disposed arm, her touch as warm and welcomed as your favorite childhood blanket. "Honey, I've been where you were before. Maybe not exactly your situation, but I know what this feeling is like—the worry of what the dad is gonna think, the anxiety of caring for two people. It's terrifying. But I've got good news for you," she paused, kissing the top of your head. "You don't have to do it alone. Because I'm gonna be right here."

You weren't sure you gave her a response to that. Full-on sobs were now wracking your body, despite her kind words. Your tears flowed and your chest heaved, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't seem to stop. Panic and fear coursed through you, and as much as you wanted to be happy about this baby, the only true feeling you had at the moment was resentment toward yourself.

[ Now, November of 1991 ]

"Max, honey, do you know what time it is?" you asked, quite frantically. "I left my watch at home this morning."

A knock sounded on the counter behind you. "It's time for me to be your boyfriend," Steve said smugly, giving you a smirk as you turned to face him.

Max glared down at her watch, rolling her eyes at the cheesiness occurring in front of her. "Actually, it's almost 7:30," the redhead answered, pulling down the sleeve of her flannel shirt.

A grateful sigh slipped past your lips. "Ah, sweet freedom," you said before turning your attention back to Steve, who was sporting a curiously teasing look across his face. "What? I've got a hot date with a bubble bath and my feet and backbone couldn't be happier."

"Sounds sexy," he snickered.

Max huffed in fake annoyance as she passed the latte in her hand over to the brunette girl on the opposite side of the counter. "Have a nice evening," she smiled, then turned to you and Steve, to which she quipped, "If I had a dollar for every time one of you told the other something that was inappropriate to say in a coffee shop, I'd make enough money to pay off my student loans."

"Hey, it's not my fault your boyfriend is off playing basketball at Princeton and training for the NBA," you shrugged, joking of course.

Max gave you a fake pout. "That is below the barista belt, Y/N. That's just cruel."

You shot her a playful smile, giving her a sisterly pat on the arm. "Why don't you get started on the tables, hon'?"

And with that, Max was grabbing her cleaning supplies and heading to clean off the abandoned tables. You gave Steve your attention once more, curious as to if he was interested in holding up to his end of the bargain.

He surprised you with the response that came out of his mouth. "I will have a salted caramel latte with almond milk," he said proudly, sure that his answer was right. "Are you ready for that date yet?"

Your lips formed into a thin line, a look of regret coming to your face. "I hate to tell you, Doc, but nut allergies are a very common thing in my family."

"You work with almond milk all the time," he rebutted, a hand on his hip.

Your eyes narrowed in on him, not ready to back down from his challenge. "I don't like caramel."

He scoffed. "Who doesn't like caramel?"

You shrugged. "Me."

"Why don't you just admit that I was right and tell me where you wanna go next weekend?"

"Because you're wrong and I'm busy next weekend," you answered, both responses true.

He finally broke eye contact with you to look over at Max. "Hey, Max, is a salted caramel latte with almond mix Y/N's favorite item on the menu?"

"Everyone knows she hates almond milk," she answered. "I'm disappointed in you for not knowing."

His attention turned to you again, his eyes narrowing in on yours. "How do I know she isn't being paid to say that?"

An exasperated sigh left your mouth. "We make five bucks an hour and you expect me to have extra money to throw at Max? No offense, Max."

"None taken," she laughed, still scrubbing away at one of the tables. "I don't have money to throw at you either."

Steve shook his head in some mixture of disbelief and playfulness. "Would you just get me my coffee? To-go, please."

Your brows furrowed as you got to work on the drink. "What's with the to-go order? You hardly ever get your coffee to-go."

"If you must know, I happen to have a hot date of my own," he said vaguely, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Sounds sexy," you jested. "Who's the girl?"

"A cancer patient in the PEDS ward."

Your expression went from curious to downright confused at his statement. "Do I wanna know how that constitutes as a hot date?"

"She's got a crush on me so I get asked to sit with her on nights that her mom works," he explained, slipping some cash into the tip jar. "It's a hot date because every time I go in her room, she asks me to crank the heater all the way up. I think that's just because she likes the way I look when I'm sweaty."

A gentle smile appeared on your face as you passed him his latte. You thought about your own little girl, who'd be here any minute, and how much you regretted nights like those where she was left to her own devices, left to stay with your mom or one of your brothers instead of the person she needed most.

You shook off the thoughts, taking the money from his opposite hand and placing it in the cash register. "Have a brew-tiful night and enjoy your date, Doc."

And with that, Steve gave you one last playful smirk and headed out the door, but not before a certain little girl ran past him and over to you. Joyce followed suit behind her as Steve held the door open, then began his journey out to his car and, presumably, the hospital.

"Mommy!" Mandy squealed, running around the counter to greet you.

You picked her up, happier than ever to see her, placing a kiss on her soft hair. "Hey, sweetpea," you smiled, love overflowing from you as she wrapped her tiny arms around your neck. "What did you get up to today?"

"Grandma took me to the park!" she answered excitedly, her hazel eyes lit up with delight.

You gasped, playing along with her enthusiasm. "No way! You'll have to tell Mommy all about it."

"Now, don't get mad," Joyce started to say as she walked over to you.

Your brows furrowed. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

A regretful look came across the woman's face, explaining, "We passed an ice cream truck on the way here and-"

"Mom, you know I always give her one of the leftover cake pops at the end of the day. She can't eat too much sugar."

"I know," Joyce said, "but Jon's in town for Thanksgiving so he's offered to give you us both a night off."

It was selfish, but you'd never been so grateful for your brother to be home. You sighed, setting your daughter back on the ground. "Well then, let's put all that energy to use, shall we?"

And with that, Mandy was hot on your trail, following you around as you worked to close up the shop. You just smiled down at the girl, prouder than anyone had ever been to be a mom. Sure, it was biased, but you were quit certain you had the best girl in the whole world.

-> taglist: @dungeons-are-too-cold @ducky-died-inside @awkotaco24 @liberhoe @princesseddie @aftermidnightwriting @manuosorioh @esoltis280

[kroganloveinterest]

Getting to know your mutuals

tagged by @illusivesoul thanks so much for tagging me!!!

I'll tag @baede-6 @spaydekingcayde @silverforestglove @crystariumrose @heywizards @herrshepard but don't feel any obligation to fill it out or anything. Also if you've already been tagged in this or completed it, I apologize for the extra tag!! And please still fill this out even if I didn't tag you! You can still tag me if you do. :3

(questions under the cut)

What's the origin of your blog's title?

It's a quote by the Spider from the Scavenger's Fate loretab in Destiny 2.

Favorite Fandoms: I'm listing these by what I personally enjoy engaging with, rather than what the fandom space in general is like. With that said, Destiny, Pokemon, My Hero Academia, Mass Effect, and The Elder Scrolls are probably my top 5.

OTP(s) + shipname: I really only have one technically, which is Thel 'Vadam and Rtas 'Vadum from the Halo series. I believe in them so passionately...even if I no longer am the ThelRtas blogging giant I used to be years ago on here lmao.

special mention to all my indulgent oc/canon ships too naturally.

Favorite color: I really like blues!

Favorite game: Of all time? Pokemon Crystal probably. First Pokemon game to have the option to play as a girl, the Western release date was on my birthday, and Johto/gen 2 is my favorite....it was written in the stars ngl.

Song stuck in your head: For once, there isn't a song looping through my mind at the moment.

Weirdest habit/trait? Only thing I can really think of is that I tend to idly pick at the skin of my fingertips semi-often. Hard habit to break so far.

Hobbies: Video games and making gifs. Seems sad that I can't really think of anything else at the moment. They're just always my main go-to for an enjoyable time killer.

If you work, what's your profession? Unemployed atm.

If you could have any job you wish what would it be? I always wanted to be a marine biologist or some aquatic science/biology job since high school, but that's no longer an option.

Something you're good at: Nothing comes to mind.

Something you're bad at: Writing.

Something you excel at: Nothing comes to mind.

Something you love: Beefy fictional characters keep me going ngl.

Something you could talk about for hours without off the cuff: Good question, not in a self-deprecating way, but in a "I genuinely don't think I have anything I'd be able to talk for hours about" lmao.

Something you hate: Moths, tbh. I very much respect them and don't go out of my way to kill them or anything, but god do I simply not like them fluttering about near me.

Something you collect: Nothing now, but I used to collect General Grievous figures and Godzilla figures too so I have a modest sized collection of both.

Something you forget: To take my medication. Literally still forget about it even with a daily phone reminder plastered on the lock screen.

What's your love language? Not sure.

Favorite movie/show: Movie I'd say 2004 Van Helsing, and for TV show I'd say Monk.

Favorite food: Steak.

Favorite animal: Crocodilians. Sharks, dogs, sloths, and elephants are also up there.

Are you musical? Not anymore, used to play the flute for 6 years in grade school though. I miss it. :C

What were you like as a child? Unhappy, repressing trauma and near constant traumatic experiences, extremely withdrawn and shy, really low self-esteem, undiagnosed anxiety/depression, etc....but now I do what I can to take care of that little kid still inside me to this day, rip.

Favorite subject at school? Math, believe it or not! It just always made sense to me and that was comforting. I always liked my science classes as well, but math for sure was always my favorite.

Least favorite subject? I loathed English and History classes because I thought they were so boring, honestly. There's definitely a "no wonder you suck at writing and can't even discuss media in a meaningful way" jab opportunity there, but that's honestly just what my preferences were back then.

What's your best character trait? Not sure.

What's your worst character trait? Also not sure.

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? To not have all my close friendships be eroded away to nothing so now I feel like I don't have that support system like I thought I did? That's what's been killing my mental health lately anyway lmao.

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet? A dinosaur.

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics I'll rec @intrepiddreamx 's Destiny 2 fic Diplomatic Ties any day, any time. 😌 (please mind the rating if necessary)

[utilitycaster]

Eh, I doubt this will stop them but I'll cover the alleged hypocrisy since they appear to be harassing other people as well before going to bed.

[description: reblog from harassing-little-hypocrite. The real question is why was the little hypocrite so upset about Imodna in the first place? There is only one answer to that question, and the little hypocrite refuses to give any reasonable alternative. Sure, it made sense to criticize Imodna before, it really left a lot to be desired. But now, there is a new ship that, at best, has all the problems Imodna had. Why is the little hypocrite a fan of one ship but has never stopped shitting on the other? What is different about them, really?]

I assume "little hypocrite" is referring to me, because it was a reblog of my post, but given the URL it might be the poster talking about themselves in the third person like Elmo does. Who can say, really.

Anyway, I agree, Imodna does leave a lot to be desired. I'm not upset; I think it's boring but it also only comes up for like two minutes every other episode.

What's different about Fearne and Ashton: To be clear, I don't consider this an OTP, I don't have strong investment in it being endgame, I absolutely don't expect it to be monogamous, and honestly if it jumped straight into Undying Devotion To Each Other next episode instead of making out and having more interesting conversations I'd be immediately turned off. But right now? They've had a conversation of substance, they discussed their goals in concrete ways, they've had a silly flirty thing going on with the stealing game throughout the campaign (even when I thought the fanon of the ship sucked - which I still do - I felt a hookup would be fun but anything deeper would be contrived), and, perhaps most crucially, they can express frustrations with each other. My issue with Imodna has always been that they have the same boring-ass conversation in slightly different configurations over and over, the two potentially interesting conflicts they had fizzled out like a cheap whoopie cushion, and god, I'm so bored. Fearne and Ashton have conflict. That's the main thing I've wanted from Imodna - I've said that repeatedly - and they've failed to deliver. That's the difference.

Anyone can look through my blog and find plenty of other F/F ships I've enjoyed greatly; I happen to dislike this particular one. There's plenty of straight ships I think suck as well. It's deeply irresponsible to co-opt the language of social justice over stupid fandom wank; you sure aren't helping lesbians in any material way through this, that's for certain, if this is what I considered fun I'd develop literally any other hobby, and it does not really worry me what you think of me given that you don't know me in real life and as such have no basis to pass such judgments with authority.

It's interesting that for a ship where so many shippers seem desperate for more approval from the fandom, multiple Imodna shippers like you are simultaneously out here asking the question "what if I made myself as unpleasant as possible?" (I know you say you find it leaves a lot to be desired, but given that you're specifically mad that I like a different ship more than Imodna...yeah, sure.) Not sure if you're the old fandom bottom-feeder or a new one, but man, people who were neutral on Imodna have begun to sour on it because it's getting a reputation for being the ship of choice for clowns like you, and it's only going to keep getting worse, and people who prefer other things are going to just keep blocking you and write meta and fic for their ships and you'll get less and less.

[artistsfuneral]

Saw you were looking for some Witcher A/B/O stuff. Not sure what your ships are (responded before I scrolled through your profile) but how do you think the mutagens affect secondary gender? If there’s no change what do you think each of the wolf Witchers would be?

the only pairing I don't write is Yennefer/ (simply bc I can't relate to her, we're very different people, so I suck at not making her too ooc) and Ciri/Roche (entirely out of spite, I think it's funny)

and that is such an amazing question! and I don't have one true opinion about it 😂😂

with mutagens there's always the questions whether they enhance or dull something, and canon wise the mages obviously tried to enhance the useful stuff (like a witcher's senses) and tried to dull the stuff that would getcin the way (emotions for example)

I guess it would entirely depend on how useful the secondary gender is in that au (and that's usually based on a porn to world building ratio) 😂

one thing I have never seen before in a fic tho is the explanation that witchers do have secondary genders but don't have heats/ruts because they're steril - which I personally believe to be such an interesting topic becausw there's so many (angsty, hurt/comfort) ways this could go?

and sure steril can mean a lot of different things but it should at leeeaast have some consequences regarding hormones - which almost every a/b/o fic is basically about - and now that I am thinking about it: Cat crazy? Could just be hormonal imbalance? Hmmmmh I have to add that to my wip list, don't I? 😂🫣

(also my pet peeve: omegas that go through heats and still have a working reproductive system should technically get their period - I have NEVER seen that before either (understandable for the porn fics, but for world building heavy fics??) outrageous, what even are you cramping for???) 😐

I also have no strict opinion on the secondary genders of the main fanfic cast 😂 I just like to mash them up in ways that work with the story and their dynamics, so there's:

a!Geralt, o!Jaskier and a!Jaskier and o!Geralt

three omegas, one alpha or three alphas, one omega

a really good, balanced a/b/o mix (usually with Eskel as the beta, or another wolf witcher from the background character list)

Vesemir being an absolute wild card (meaning his gender is kept secret and everyone is speculating about it)

bare with me: o!Vesemir and a!Lambert with b!Eskel and Geralt (platonically or romantically, this is such an interesting dynamic I think bc there's just so much potential for conflict)

and outside of porn I think Ciri should always be an alpha, I can't really see an omega or beta in canon Ciri

also Aiden? wildcard #2 - he's always what Lambert needs most in thag fic 😂

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

Truly sorry people have forgotten the whole "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything" adage. But also that others are sending you the not so nice things that are being said. Like, that definitely kinda sucks too. Best to you and focusing on things that make you happy!

Oh god everyone's being so nice now I'm so embarrassed.

You're very kind dear. Well the people sending me stuff are only sending me nice things! At least on the main post! But then there will be comments or replies that complain about it - oh I don't like them anymore because they wrote BT, etc.

(Side note - BT stands for BuckTaylor so people using it for BuckTommy - dear GOD please stop. The ship names are confusing enough with y'all picking like ten of them. Please. I am smol and confuséd.)

So the people sending this stuff are well-intentioned. I only meant to explain why (among many other reasons) I won't listen to the (again, well-intentioned) people who say oh my gosh you're missing out on all the kind things people are saying on these other sites! I appreciate all that kindness, really I do and I'm so very lucky to have such enthusiasm and such love for my writing. But I would honestly rather miss out on some of it if it means that I'm protected from seeing the more spoiled or bad faith actors. I have seen very very little 'discourse' over this whole ship war that's sprung up and I'm glad for that, but part of how I've avoided it is by purposefully staying very much in my lane, not go looking through tags, and honestly even deeply limiting who I follow.

Honestly I don't let it usually bother me. 90% of people are so kind and lovely, and I know that the people being angry are not the majority. And I doubt that most of the people complaining even view it as all that deep, they're just venting because they're annoyed and being overly dramatic as we tend to be in fandom because acting overly dramatic is how we do everything around here (hell knows I do it too). I'm just really struggling in my 'real life' and having a bad day so it just kind of got to me, especially since my next three fics are BuddieTommy and I won't be publishing any Buddie until Halloween, and I was feeling kinda low like great, I'm gonna publish these and people will talk shit I guess. Not fun! I gotta say!

But I am and will be okay. I honestly did not expect my inbox to explode the way it just did when I vented in those tags. I, uh, don't expect people to care? that much? which sounds bad but I just mean that I don't expect people to pay all that much attention to me. So it's very sweet that people are sending me love and support.

Thank you for your kindness and thank you to everyone else. I really don't want this to be a Thing so I'm answering all other asks privately. Thank you dears.

[yardsards]

I hear you and I agree with you but also I raise you: queerplatonic the spares?

assuming you're talking about this post that i made a while back but blew up again recently?

i got a very similar ask back when i first made the post (which is buried somewhere in the depths of my blog bc tumblr search sucks) and i'll say now approximately what i said back then:

that kind of sucks too, actually.

the main problem with the "pair the spares" and "everyone must be paired" tropes is that they generally imply that it's not a happy ending unless everyone is in a committed monogamous romantic relationship. that characters (and real people, by extension) are somehow incomplete without a romantic partner, just like a sad single sock.

and removing the word "romantic" (or even any of the other adjectives as well) from those sentences and allowing them to include queerplatonic partnerships too doesn't really make the idea that much better. doing that doesn't break down the walls, just widens them a bit so that more people can be allowed in.

like yeah, one of the problems with the "you're incomplete without a romantic partner" idea is that it excludes people who can't feel romance. but that's far from the ONLY problem with it (in fact, the term "amatonormativity" wasn't even coined with aromantics specifically in mind, iirc).

it tells single people that they're not good enough, that they're incomplete. it tells single people who want a relationship that this isn't just a matter of "aw bummer, you want this thing but don't have it yet" but is rather a massive fundamental issue in their life that must take priority and be solved posthaste. it tells people who are happily single (including happily single alloromantics. because yes, they exist. not everyone who feels romantic attraction necessarily thinks that getting into a traditional romantic relationship about those feelings is right for them) that they're just deluding themselves and that they truly would be happiest in a partnership. it tells people who are in unhappy relationships that it would be better to stay than to become single. it says that relationships must look a certain way. it says that friendship is insufficient and is always inherently lesser than a partnership.

and allowing "partnership" and "relationship" to include queerplatonic as well as romantic doesn't fix a lot of those

amatonormativity is a cage that hurts those who can fit themselves in it as well as those who can't. widening the cage to allow more people in won't fix that. and there will always be people who don't fit inside the cage no matter how much you widen it. for example, non-partnering aros exist and would still be excluded here.

(and on another note: "pair the spares" and "everyone must be paired" generally are used derisively to refer to like. when characters are shoddily shoved together last minute because the writers couldn't figure out what else to do with them. it's generally just like, bad writing. and while i would LOVE more queerplatonic relationships, i want them to actually be GOOD, not just be some sloppy seconds leftover from a romantic ship.)

anyway i got rambly and possibly confusing there, and went Way Too Deep about what was almost definitely just a silly lighthearted ask. but i have so many Thoughts on the matter

there's just like. this mindset i notice (primarily in newer/younger aromantics who have just begun to question amatonormativity). where they see queerplatonic relationships and just think "ah, so this is just our version of a romantic relationship?" and don't really think about the complexities. ignoring the fact that some social constructs around romance are simply Not Good and that they will not become good if you separate them from romance. and ignoring that queerplatonic relationships are not always just "like a romantic relationship but minus the romance".

like it's a mindset that i understand (and i think was a lot like how i thought when i was younger and first figuring out these concepts). because this shit is CONFUSING and hard to explain and complicated to think about and so hard to unpack. so i hope i'm not coming across as rude to anon or anyone like that. it's just kinda something that's on my mind a good bit so i went off on a ramble, y'know?

edit: dug up the old post with a similar ask

[itsclydebitches]

You know, surprisingly Sweet Home 2 has given me a better appreciation for what some fans might see in late seasons of RWBY. The last 8 episodes were a hot dumpster fire of a story—and I'm arguing that from an objective "You fucked with basic writing conventions in a non-productive way and also a huge chunk of audience expectations, also in a non-enjoyable way" perspective, not just "That wasn't to my taste." Season 2 is a mess, friends.

HOWEVER I was also able to recognize where specific, highly personal preferences were carrying the show for me:

Uh oh, a Main Character died! Oh well. I wasn't super invested in them so it's fine

Now a million minor characters have suddenly been introduced instead? Isn't it lucky for me that I find them intriguing. Better yet, this one guy literally no one else cares about has inexplicably become a fave. His mere existence on screen increases my enjoyment by 70%!

Wow the last twenty minutes of this episode was boring af but look! My ship! That's the only thing that will stick with me an hour from now

Huh, I have no idea what's going on. Like, straight up huge chunks of this make no sense to me. Eh, whatever. I'm binging this on a Saturday night with the express purpose of turning my brain off. Comprehension can come back tomorrow. The hot, morally dubious soldier just made a crazy shot with his rifle to blow up a ton of monsters. Cool!

It really was an interesting experience to watch a show (notably one I already liked from Season One) and spend it going, "That was so bad... and also I need to watch the next episode immediately." Sweet Home 2 was so much fun to binge and I'll be thinking about it for the next couple of weeks at the very least. I also absolutely would not recommend it to others due to [checks notes] way too many reasons to list here. I can't say it's "So bad it's good" because it doesn't have that vibe, rather, it really was just a few pinpoint, personal interests and the willingness to prioritize them over literally everything else in the story that made it "good" for me.

Which put into sharp relief how others might watch another show with absolutely no cohesion, the death/disappearance of Very Important characters, boring as hell stretches, and a fundamental misunderstanding of what fans liked about the original and come away going, "It was great!" Because there was that one (1) cool scene. Because your ship has A Moment. Because while some people might care about answering the myriad of questions introduced, or understanding what's happening in any given scene, you just care that your fave existed for twenty seconds doing a GIF-able action.

Only difference is I'm going, "Yeah it sucked and I enjoyed it" rather trying to uplift those small, super subjective preferences as proof of the story's secret genius.

[twin-books]

Can you break down Rook Blonko from Ben 10 Omniverse?

Hey! I hope your doing well, arlakos! Always nice to see ya! <3 How I feel about this character: As much as I actually adore Omniverse (which I do believe just comes with a bias since it does remind me of Sonic a lot) I have no real strong feelings for Rook beyond that I do really like him. And it helped that when I watched Omniverse for the first time I had a soured taste in my mouth of the previous two Ben shows from when I was little (which, I'll be honest, I think outside sources just made me hate those shows, they're actually quite good so little me was just being silly) which meant I didn't actually like Kevin and Gwen much in the beginning so I wasn't constantly comparing them to Rook as partners for Ben. I feel like this helped me cozy up to his character a whole lot more. But now that I have actually rewatched the other two shows, I actually do prefer at least Kevin as a companion for Ben but I still find it completely unfair to compare them since Rook is fundamentally a different character to Kevin and Gwen which I'm actually very happy they did. It would have been so easy to just make him Kevin and Gwen in one character but this dude is actually his own person and I appreciate that. My only real complaint with Rook is near the end they kind of just forgot about him so he ended up just being another character that kind of makes fun of Ben but still helps out. Occasionally he went back to old Rook, of course, but it was quite aggravating. And there wasn't any cleverness to it. It just seemed mean-spirited. But I really blame that on the writing. They clearly had this idea for Rook and when he wasn't a main part of the storyline for an episode they had no clue what to do with that idea so they reduced him to basic mean-spirited humor. All people I ship romantically with this character: I'm gonna be 100% honest with this; Ben 10 is one of those shows where I find romance just bogs down the show and is in no way helpful to it so it's very hard to actually ship anybody. Specifically people who have actually been couples in the show purely because it's so clear that they were only prepared to write an action show and not romance scenes. I'd love to say Kevin and Gwen are an exception to this but, while they certainly have better moments than literally any other couple, even they sometimes fall into this trap. I say this because I have absolutely have no feelings for Rook's actual relationship in the show beyond it's kind of cute. Rayona has little to no personality and is purely there to be the girl Rook but with none of the fun. I'm happy to see Rook happy and they are by far one of the least problematic ships in this show simply because they do next to nothing with them. So, while I will say I ship them, it's very freaking minor. Now Rook and Ben? I certainly think there's a fun case to have there. I actually believe they have infinitely more chemistry than Rook and Rayona. But I am not a diehard shipper of them like most of the Omniverse fandom seems to be. But they are definitely above Rook x Rayona.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Well that's really freaking easy. Ben and Rook all the way. Like they're so fun to watch together. Rook being hilariously more "down-to-earth" while Ben is pure chaos. But it's not as simple as Rook calling out Ben's very flawed logic, it's actually far more fun. Something best enjoyed personally rather than explained. Which I'm very happy to be saying this because it would have really sucked if they introduced this guy as Ben's new best bud and then Ben and him wasn't the non-romantic OTP. But since that was probably very obvious I'll give you two more. I actually quite enjoy Kevin and Rook purely for the pure chaos it causes and they're both seemingly unaware of it and then they both get to geek out over tech. And of course, Rook and Gwen. They're both the most "down-to-earth" characters in the show so they bounce off each other pretty well and it's simply hilarious to see how they both have to deal with Ben.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Okay, so I guess this is my most unpopular opinion... I do not care for the idea Rook would be more cat-like. Hilarious coming from me, someone who is a diehard fan of catpeople (specifically catboys, seriously ask @koo1creations she'll tell ya) but I just don't feel it fits Rook and I actually find it kind of ruins what I enjoy about the character. The whole thing with Rook is he's very elegant in how he approaches anything and giving him a more "feral" (for lack of a better term) appearance and actions takes away the magic of Ben and Rook's chemistry because now they're both rather chaotic, I guess. Plus, losing his tail is actually a sign of growing up in his culture so I find it accidentally makes him seem "younger" which also ruins a lot for me because I find him being clearly older and therefore more mature than Ben far more entertaining.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened to this character: I wish he freaking appeared in the reboot. Like I may not have watched it yet but I'm frankly annoyed he was not a character especially since some other characters from Omniverse were. He was at least referenced I guess but that doesn't make me any happier. Like Rook is very unique and a fun character so to ditch him is unfortunate. I imagine he was probably a character the writers may not have felt confident in writing in a new setting since he was pretty much the only thing well liked among most Ben 10 fans about Omniverse. Everything else was very controversial. I suppose there's also always the possibility they just didn't really care for him but at least wanted to leave some nods to him for the other fans but I prefer not to think the negative of the writers especially since, even though I don't love it, I can tell the people who wrote the reboot really loved all of Ben 10 and did their best to make a great adaption.

Thanks for the ask! This was super fun! I never get to talk about Rook so it actually gave me an opportunity to really gather my thoughts.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

"Ryan finally had a girlfriend that actually thought about him!!“ yes absolutely! I didn’t *hate* Marissa but I really disliked the Marissa/Ryan ship, they weren’t right together. Never even thought about it but it makes so much sense that you come from a The OC background.

The way you write modern Jon reminds me so much of Ryan (LOVE IT). So interesting that you tried to rework one of your existing fics into a Jonsa fic. I would honestly love a fic with some OC vibes. The only The OC Jonsa fic I’ve read was one where Sansa was put into Marissa‘s role and it did NOT fit. Thinking about it, Sandy and Kirsten Cohen definitely give off Ned and Cat vibes!

Also Happy Birthday!

I used to hate Marissa a lot, but I was younger then (it didn't help that the other people in my fandom vitriolically hated her lol). I can look back now and realize that Marissa was, unfortunately, the writer's favorite toy to create new drama, at the expense of her character.

And unlike almost every other character, she just wasn't fun for me (I will say, Seth sometimes bordered on too much for me, but usually he was fine). Like did Julie do terrible things? Sure, but oh boy when she showed up in a scene, I knew it would be a good time. I would rather watch her than Marissa any day of the week. Marissa would just suck the energy out of everything for me. But maybe that's a product of my old fandom, and I'd feel differently watching it now. I haven't rewatched in ages, tbh.

And I will say, I liked Marissa at the end of season 3! Because they were just wrapping up her character so she wasn't starting shit and she was actually just fun like she should've been the entire time. And they acknowledge that she & Ryan were toxic together, and better off as long distance friends. So when the time comes for her death, I'm actually sad!

I tried not to be too mean to Marissa in my fics... towards the end. Though I did write a one shot about her murdering Ryan lmaoooo. That's strictly on my livejournal... I think it's still there?

As for a Jonsa OC fic.... I've had one half written basically since I started writing fic again.

Ryan - Jon Trey - Aegon Sandy - Ned Kirsten - Cat Seth - Arya?

But there's where it sort of fails, because who is Sansa? Is SHE Seth? Where does she come in, unless I make her not related to the Cohen/Stark family. Or do I get rid of Kirsten/Cat, make her married to Jimmy/some other dude, and have Sansa as her daughter with Arya as Ned's?

Omg this got so long, but I'll include what I have written below the cut, which is literally just the opening scene, so don't get too excited lol.

The OC AU

They approach the car like it's prey, ducked down, creeping.

“I'm your big brother. If I don't teach you this, who will?" With that, Egg smashes out the window, the sound loud and echoing in the quiet alley. He opens the door and gets in, but Jon hesitates, looks over his shoulder towards the main road.

"Quit being a little bitch. Get in!"

And so Jon does, because he always does what Egg says. Just as he's about to get in the passenger side, it happens – a cop car rolls by on the main street, and Jon's heart lurches in his chest, but it passes.

And then it backs up.

“Come on!” Egg shouts, laughing and reckless. “Let's go, Jon!”

Jon slides into the passenger side and slams the door shut behind him, heart racing a mile a minute as Egg hotwires the car and gets it started, as the police cruiser turns down the alley.

And then they're off.

Down the street and out into the open, Egg pushing the throttle as hard as it can go, even on the small streets of Wintertown. Jon sits with one hand gripping the door handle, the other braced out in front of him on the dash.

“You should see your face, man,” Egg laughs, mouth wide, teeth glinting in the streetlights – sharp and dangerous. That same, reckless laughter Jon remembers from their father.

Sirens wail behind them and Jon knows this is it. This is where he finally dies, this is where everything catches up with him. At an intersection, Egg runs a red light, has to swerve to avoid an oncoming car.

“No, no, no, no,” Jon chants, shutting his eyes and bracing for impact. He doesn't know what they hit, just that he's thrown forward, the airbag slamming into his chest, the sound of crunching metal and squealing tires and sirens.

He feels groggy and weak as his eyes open, bright lights flashing and making him wince.

"Hands up! Get them up!" someone shouts. The police. "Hands on the dash where I can see them!"

For just a moment, Jon thinks about running. Pushing open the door, leaving Egg, and going as fast as his legs will take him. But his chest aches and his lungs burn and his head is spinning and so instead, he puts his hands up.