#BROTP : we were never strangers

[withacapitalp]

not sure if it’s a limit to one character per ask but steve & robin for the ask game

Okay I loved thinking about them as a unit!!!! I already answered for Steve so I'm going to do this as SteveandRobin!

favorite thing about them

the easy way they accept each other!! Both of them needed someone that just loved them exactly where they were and I just....augh I feel so many thing about the two of them and the unconditional love they have for each other

least favorite thing about them

The OBSESSION WITH ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS!!!! GUYS!!!!! I just feel like that was kinda lazy writing? Like let Steve and Robin be happy being SteveandRobin!!!!

favorite line

The entire bathroom scene in S3. Okay so this is the scene that got me into Stranger Things, and I cry every time I watch it, and it just like. She's so vulnerable with him, and he loves her so much that he can realize that love doesn't change when she isn't a romantic option. The fact that they have that same love and she's courageous enough to tell him and he just accepts her exactly as she is!!!!

also MORONS MOOOORRRRONS Lmao they're so fucking funny. And "Are you okay?" "Ask me tomorrow" BOOBIES So many iconic Stobin moments

brOTP OTP nOTP

Not gonna answer these because they're both of them! If you wanna know for Robin, then ask for her separate!

random headcanon

Robin helps Steve to get out of Hawkins. She is the one who manages to get Steve to see that he doesn't have to sacrifice his whole life for everyone else, and that he's allowed to be his own person

unpopular opinion

I don't really like when fics make Robin like Steve's gay mentor? She's just as lost as him like she says it all the time in the show that she has no idea what she's doing and she's terrified of being outed, so I think that making her like all knowledgeable takes away from some of that........

Oh god I'm going to say the one people will disagree with. I don't like Ronance. If anyone ever treated my Robin the way Nancy has treated Steve I would NEVER act on any romantic thoughts I had on them. I think Ronance can be done well and in an interesting way, but in general I don't like them and the idea that Steve is just super cool with them is....a choice for sure

song i associate with them

50 Ways to Say Goodbye by Train they would so vibe to this song!!! Also Total Eclipse obvi, but Angeleyes by ABBA and Benny and the Jets by Elton John...I have an entire playlist of their bops LOL

favorite picture of them

THIS WAS THE MOST ICONIC STOBIN LOOK AND I WILL NEVER NOT BE MAD WE DIDNT GET MORE OF THESE STYLES WITH THEM

[championofravens]

Do Ichiban!

YEAAAAHHHH ITS FUCKING ICHIBAN TIME LETS GO LETS GO LETS GO

favorite thing about them

I love how he loves! I love how his love for others is always at the forefront of everything he does! I love how love can make him violent and angry and willing to do morally dubious things but he will never go further than his heart can handle! Because at the end of the day! Loving others is THE reason to keep going! To help, to offer kindness, to go through bullshit and tough times to make life easier for others because you CAN make a difference! Start from the fucking bottom and work your way back up and you do it because YOU! LOVE!

least favorite thing about them

He won't kill. I think he should be allowed to kill!!! A little bit. I had six/seven games of Kiryu never killing anyone, especially when he DID kill them, and I'd like Ichiban to kill some of these fucking scumbags he gets pitted against. I'm hoping with all the bloodshed in Ishin we can get Ichiban doing a murder.

favorite line

Yakuza is not a particularly quotable game to me but Ichiban's final moments with Masato is such a profound and emotional scene, I had to lift something from that. It probably isn't quiet as impactful if you haven't seen the rest of the Yakuza franchise and their typical handling of men experiencing emotions but... I will timestamp and link to the scene in a video showing all the finale's cinematics but I will quote the best bit:

"No one appreciated you?! Bullshit! We were always there for you! We would've done anything for you, gone to hell and back! All you had to do was ask! When will you believe me when I say the three of us love you?"

There's such a perfect blend of catharsis and compassion as Ichiban finally breaks down the ego of his brother to say "You were loved, you ARE loved, and I will not let you run from that"

brOTP

Him and Namba are the best bros of all time. They are on some Spongebob and Patrick shit. It is so good. I have never sobbed over a platonic reunion like the one they had. Best fwends foweva.

OTP

Ichiban/Xhao, hands down. I just think they're sweet! They're flirty, banter well, have a really fun dynamic, and a no stress bond. They'd be such adorable boyfriends. C'mon. C'MON RGG. MAKE ICHIBAN THE FIRST BISEXUAL BITCH IN THE FRANCHISE.

nOTP

Ichiban is incapable of seeing any of the women he befriends in a romantic or sexual sense, sorry I don't make the rules, they're all too busy messily dating each other

random headcanon

He's bisexual, in case you didn't catch that. But I also think he gets introduced to the internet and starts going to online forums and trying to engage everyone in spirited overly earnest debates and he is OUTRAGED by troll bait and after a sleepless 48 hours of fighting hundreds of strangers on every topic under the sun, he is banned from every major platform and his smart phone is thrown out the window.

unpopular opinion

Look. Yes his hair is iconic. And I love it. But he unfortunately is hot as fuck with short hair or with it pulled back and I would prefer he have it that way for the entire next game he's in pretty pleaseeeeee <33333

song i associate with them

Oh man, there's so many I could put here! Cause I also have a fuckin Ichiban playlist! But after about four seconds of thinking, it's extremely easy: Breathe by Dom Fera

I caught a glimpse in the window I caught a glimmer of what I was hoping to see And everybody can stand there folding their arms They're saying don't hold your breath I'm saying how can you breathe

favorite picture of them

Yes it's everyone's favorite picture of Ichiban and there's good reason for it: he's so fucking cute! Second favorite picture is this blurry glimpse we caught in a production vlog of him in the next game with his hair tied back:

[number1villainstan]

I’m going to regret this. But. For the character meme thing, Pops. Because I’m on my daddy issues bullshit.

What I like about him: Hidden depths, canon has at least the basics for fleshing out a solid morally gray complex character.

What I dislike about him: In canon? Not fleshed out, treated as completely good. In my headcanon? The type of parent who thinks he's a good parent but, uh, if you look at Chisaki you can tell that he's really really not.

Least/Favourite moment: Man, I haven't watched those episodes in too long to answer that.

A situation with this character that I want to see explored more: Him parenting Chisaki, and his own childhood/growing-up, his relationship with his daughter, his relationship with his wife--his history in general, and not just with Chisaki.

An interesting AU for this character: One where the Hassaikai died a lot earlier, like when Chisaki was on the younger side of the teen years, and he has to adjust to regular civilian life while trying to parent a feral hyper-anxious teenager who still thinks that he took him in because he needed an heir.

A crossover: With AtLA; I think it would be fun to compare/contrast him with Iroh. I even have a Tumblr draft that compares the two characters, although if/when that'll ever get done is a complete mystery.

OTP (or OT3+ etc…. just… favourite ship): His...wife? I think? Maybe? She'd be an OC but I don't really do romantic shipping with Pops.

Other ships?: No romantic ones, that's for sure.

BROTP: If we're sticking to the vibe of 'bro' in 'brotp,' then perhaps Irinaka? There's still an age difference but I think they at least knew each other when they were young. If we don't stick to the vibe of 'bro' then possibly Chisaki--Pops definitely wants to be a good parent, and Chisaki really really needs a solid foundation/secure base for his mental health.

NOTP: I think I'm just gonna skip over this one for now.

An assortment of headcanons!:

This one is going to be fun. I've mentioned a lot of the sadder ones in an earlier post, so let's do some funnier/more lighthearted ones. Like this: he's masc nonbinary and demibisexual and realizes absolutely none of that. He thinks he's totally normal. Nobody actually finds strangers sexually attractive, right? And every dude wants to kiss their best guy friend on the mouth. He tells Chisaki to date more, that he'll find the right girl and really connect, because that's literally what happened to him. (Chisaki's aro gay ass is shrieking in frustration.)

He was definitely the romantic type with his dates (and even more so with his wife). Very big into chivalry, but not in a pretentious or (very) misogynistic way--liked to hold the door open, push in the lady's chair, give her her favorite flowers. He never really understood the whole swagger other boys would put on to try and impress girls, because the girls were clearly not impressed--and besides, the end result isn't to impress, it's to court. He kept telling his guy friends as a teenager/young adult to just talk to the girl they like instead of strutting about, but no one ever listened to him.

I think that's it for lightheated Pops headcanons. This was fun to think about!

[dodger-chan]

Steve Harrington (for the character ask)

Favorite thing about him: His willingness to apologize when he does something wrong and to actually learn from his mistakes. It's what allows him to have that excellent redemption arc we all love so much.

Least favorite thing: His fixation on normal. It gives me plenty of writing inspiration, but only for unhappy stories. Accept your weirdness, Steve, like you accept the weirdness of the people you love.

Favorite line: Stranger Things isn't a show with a lot of memorable lines. And Steve isn't the best talker. That said: Boobies.

Brotp: Steve and Robin, platonic soulmates. No explanation needed.

OTP: I'm not super into the concept of one true pairings in general. Like real people, fictional people can end up with any number of partners that might make them happy. That said, my favorite romantic pairing for Steve is Eddie. Assuming Steve can get past his need for normal, I think Steve could use the sincere and intense affection. And Eddie could use the stability and adoration.

Notp: Ignoring any of the ones that would be a bit sketchy ethically were the characters real and just considering relationships that I don't think would work well, Steve and Nancy. Mostly because the show made a point of him getting over her so them getting back together feels like going backwards narratively. And because I don't trust the writers to do a good job of showing either of them (but especially Nancy) changing in a way that would make a new relationship between them any better than their last attempt. But also, I think a relationship with Nancy would be Steve trying to cram himself back into a normal role that was never going to be as good a fit for him as he wanted it to be.

Random headcanon: Steve spends a lot of time helping out at the school post "quakes." Post canon, he ends up working in disaster relief. Probably for FEMA, but maybe with one of the private charities like the Red Cross. He tries to do mainly boots on the ground type stuff, but if it's a private group, they have him do fundraising, too, since he's naturally charming and knows rich people manners.

Unpopular opinion: Not the sort of thing that will get people grabbing pitchforks and torches, but I tend to think Steve has a harder time accepting his sexuality than most fic writers seem to. Specifically, I keep seeing it compared to his ability to accept the Upside Down. But I think people have an easier time accepting something that's completely new (alternate dimensions, monsters) than finding out something they thought they knew is wrong (not being straight, that not being bad)

Song I associate with him: Disappearing Man, by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. In the specifics, the song is about infertility and bad relationships, but at its core it's about the need to be loved, and to love others, and those needs being unmet.

Favorite picture: I don't collect pictures from the show, but this is probably my favorite bit of fanart. (Yes, Eddie's in it too. And a vampire. Steve always looks his best when bleeding.)

[writermuses]

aubrianna, pembe and ximena from ocs

 Aubrianna

Favorite thing about them: She faces challenges head on with grace and always has since she was a baby. She’s a fighter for the things that matter the most to her.

Least favorite thing about them: She’s going to choose work over love every time because she doesn’t put herself first. It’s a mistake her dad, Matthias, made over and over. So if she’s going to be with anyone they just have to accept her toxic trait is her desire to save lives. Like if there was an emergency Brianna would literally miss her own wedding to help another person.

Favorite line: I haven’t been writing her long enough but I do have a favorite Keats thing for all of my characters and hers would be, “I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days - three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.”

brOTP: All the Cartwright second gen. cousins!

OTP: Long boys, strong boys, king kong boys 😂 

nOTP: She’s never gonna ship with a lady. Out of all of mine she’s also the least likely to ever even kiss a girl in a drinking game or anything like that.

Random headcanon: The first time she had sex was in med school in an on call room and it was bad and she may have asked “Is it in?” and yeah... she really hasn’t had anything impressive because she hasn’t had many experiences.

Unpopular opinion: Wine over liquor, a hill she will die on 

Song I associate with them: At home by Jon Bryant (because would it be Brianna if it wasn’t beachy cozy home vibes?)

Favorite picture of them: The princess Brianna energy

Pembe

Favorite thing about them: She hums or sings quietly to herself all the time and it’s very sweet and calming.

Least favorite thing about them: She has let her one serious relationship that was arranged and toxic isolate her from letting someone in romantically. She’s got a lot of love to give but takes what that ex told her to heart and doesn’t feel worthy of being loved, largely related to her not wanting to have biological children.

Favorite line: I haven’t had a lot of threads with her for anything to jump out but she once described Kuzey as “my little prince and a thief… of snacks and hearts.” and that was just very Pem.

brOTP: Pem and Kuzey, obvs.

OTP: Babes that read to her / take her to try new things (ice skating, new countries)

nOTP: She’s never going to ship with someone with a temper. The moment that a person directs that energy at her, even if it’s warranted, she’ll shut down

Random headcanon: Pem always wanted to get married and have the storybook life, her mom took her to find a wedding dress before she lost too much vision to know what she’d look like in it.

Unpopular opinion: Park dates are better than restaurant dates

Song I associate with them: Better alone by Lykke Li 🙄 Seriously, someone show her not everyone’s toxic.

Favorite picture of them: Because I almost feel bad making someone with such pretty eyes blind... almost

Ximena

Favorite thing about them: Ximena is an unwillingly emotional crier and this has to be the funniest thing I’ve gotten to write in a while. Great orgasm? In tears. Pissed? She’s crying. Happy to see someone she cares about happy? Waterworks. It’s her least favorite thing about herself, but I find it hilarious.

Least favorite thing about them: I have quickly learned she’s a runner. She will bolt from all things that she things are a minor inconvenience or embarrassment. 

Favorite line: I know it’s not a ‘line’ but her saluting awkwardly at Ferit while mildly intoxicated and rejected will forever be a favorite Mena moment.

brOTP: Mena and whatever crazy friend let her go off with a stranger in the first place... probably Yana.

OTP: I ship Mena with whomever is willing to tame the brat and/or spoil the princess... just someone willing to grow up with her because she’s young and it shows

nOTP: She’s never going to ship with someone that hates the outdoors. While she’s no athlete, she loves being outside and needs some sunlight to be her happy self.

Random headcanon: The first time “aunt flow” came to visit Mena was at school and her mother never talked to her about that stuff. She thought she was dying and dramatically ran out of class screaming. It’s now her Tia’s favorite story to embarrass Mena with when she brings anyone home.

Unpopular opinion: Spanish is the sexiest language

Song I associate with them: 11 PM by Maluma

Favorite picture of them: Because this is it, this is my whole sexuality lol

It’s a madhouse in this brain full of ridiculous muses... like this 99.9888721% of the time:

[princesssarisa]

Nihal for the character ask?

Favorite thing about them: As a person, what I like best about her is the kindness and concern she shows to the sick Beşir, even if she doesn't really care as deeply as she should. On a meta level, I like the sheer complexity and emotional depth of her character, so unexpected for a 12-to-15-year-old girl in a turn-of-the-20th-century novel written by a man. In a more conventional book, she would just be a sweet, innocent foil to her adulterous stepmother Bihter, but she's most definitely not. On the one hand, she's spoiled, bitter, often irrational, manipulative, and much too possessive. But on the other hand, we can sympathize with her pain at being "abandoned" by her loved ones, especially because her father's remarriage comes at the same time as (and is partly motivated by) her transition from a child to a young woman in society, with the expectation of soon leaving her home to marry some stranger. Add to these her assorted other qualities, like her cleverness and her moments of genuine kindness, and she arguably has the richest characterization in the entire book.

Least favorite thing about them: Well, if she were a real person, I'd dislike her spiteful, vindictive tendencies, but that's part of what makes her interesting. As a character... I'm tempted to agree with @ariel-seagull-wings about disliking the idea that her rivalry with Bihter was inevitable, that stepmothers and stepdaughters are always rivals. But since (unless I'm forgetting something) it's only Mademoiselle de Courton who says this, I'll argue that we the readers don't need to take that view, per se.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm uncomfortable with change.

*I'm sometimes afraid of abandonment.

*I like Classical music.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I don't have a stepmother.

*I've always been strong and healthy.

*I don't play the piano.

Favorite line: "Father, when a child becomes a young girl she finally becomes a bride, doesn’t she? Do you know? I have made a decision, a decision that can’t be changed: Little Nihal won’t become a bride. You know you used to ask me when I was little: You used to say, Nihal, who will you marry. I, doubtless with a a serious conviction, used to say: You. Don’t panic, now I am not of that opinion, but I will stay by your side, do you understand, father? Always together with you…”

brOTP: Bülent (when she's not acting like he betrayed her just by innocently calling Bihter "mother") and Mademoiselle de Courton.

In crossover-land, I might also like her to meet either of the two Catherines from Wuthering Heights – she shares traits with both, combining an upbringing more like Catherine Linton's with the selfishness, pathology, need for adoration, and (eventual) emotion-aggravated sickliness of Catherine Earnshaw, and dealing with the hard transition from girlhood to womanhood too. I don't know if they could ever be friends or if they'd hate each other, though.

OTP: None; she's not psychologically ready for romance and might never be.

nOTP: Behlül, or her father.

Random headcanon: Her illness is some form of epilepsy (her fainting spells are actually seizures), and she's on the autism spectrum too. After all, about 10% to 12% of people with ASD are also epileptic, and it would explain a lot about her personality: black and white thinking, dislike of change, not wanting to leave the safety of childhood, etc.

Unpopular opinion: If it's unpopular to think of her as a unique, complex, morally gray character, and not just an ingénue foil to Bihter, then that's my unpopular opinion. Although I think anyone who thinks she's a stock ingénue must either only know a bad adaptation, not the book, or else lack basic reading comprehension!

Song I associate with them: None at the moment.

Favorite picture of them: These pictures from @faintingheroine of Itır Esen in the 1975 TV version.

[skys-oc-corner]

Our Last Summer

Verse: Crown of Thorns- modern au (teenagers)

Pairings: Kate, Letty, Henry and Robert (brotp: my friends are my family)

Words: 820

Tagging: @thatdarnyellowsubmarine

"Last night of the trip," Henry reminded the group, who all reacted with varying degrees of theatrical disappointment. "Favourite part?" he demanded with a grin. "Go."

Letty knew her answer straight away. "The food." Kate took a moment to consider before she decided. "The sights?" Robert flashed a devilish smile before he spoke.

"Letty getting scammed fifty-something for a piece of string on her wrist."

In an instant, Letty's free hand was covering the bracelet tied around her other wrist. "Well, what was I supposed to do? I didn't know what he was doing until half of the thing was made, and when I finally did, I was too anxious to tell him no. Besides, it was too late to say anything anyway-"

"You didn't need to let him take a fifty note from your purse!"

"I thought," she began defending, "that he was going to give me change!"

"He'd have gotten a good piece of my mind if it hadn't taken us so long to realise." Henry took a sip of his drink, as if to make his point.

"He'd have gotten more than words if you three hadn't stopped me running after him," Kate muttered.

"Anyway, at least we let the police know about it, Robert. You just stood there laughing," Letty pointed out.

"What were the police going to do? We had no idea who he was-"

"Henry," Kate called across the table, interrupting Robert, "I've changed my mind."

"Yeah?"

"My favourite part of the trip was Robert thinking a waitress was flirting with him, when really, she was trying to tell him that there was bird shit all down the back of his shirt."

"Fuck." Robert flushed, hissing the curse under his breath while Henry spluttered beside him, having just taken a generous drink from his glass before Kate made her announcement. "I thought you'd all forgotten about that."

"Forget? We couldn't possibly forget." Letty giggled mischievously. "Not when Henry has your whole reaction on camera."

"You have what?" He turned to Henry, who was fighting a losing battle of trying to hold in his laughter. "Why would you- How did you even know to record it?"

"I guess," Henry offered, "you could say that... a little bird told me?" Robert followed his friend's eyes to the other side of the table; Letty was laughing freely, while Kate had fixed a smug grin in his direction. "I think you ought to see it, personally. It's incredible, it really is."

"There's a moment," Letty explained to him through her laughter, "where your face goes from normal to white as a sheet to bright red, all in the space of a couple of seconds!"

"It's a skill, Rob, it really is, and now we have evidence to prove it," Kate teased.

"Well, thankfully, Kate," he returned, pulling himself to be sitting at his full height on the chair, "nobody needs any evidence to remember your... overly inebriated rendition of 'Africa' on karaoke night."

"Oh, he absolutely has you there!" Henry nodded his head, clearly recalling what Kate mostly couldn't. "That was an experience to say the least..."

"I've definitely never been happier I refused one of the microphones," Letty conceded from beside Kate, who huffed a little.

"Come on, it was not that bad-" Henry raised an eyebrow.

"You took off your shirt and threw it at me."

"One, I was wearing a vest underneath. Two, I'm sure you'd rather it be thrown at you than a random stranger in a crowded bar. Besides, everyone else there was enjoying the performance."

"I'm pretty sure they were mostly enjoying the fact you'd just launched your shirt at Henry's head," Robert replied with a smile, finally getting his own little revenge. "You looked about two seconds from crawling across the stage." He considered for a second. "I suppose I should be thankful there's no videos of that. Your dad would find a way to gut me for being the irresponsible one."

"Wait," Letty piped up. "Is Henry the only one of us who hasn't utterly humiliated himself yet?"

"That's both terrifying and completely unfair. I'd expected him to be the first, if I'm honest."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Rob."

"There's still plenty of time at the airport tomorrow," Kate reminded them.

"Speaking of, maybe we should head back to the rooms, get some sleep?" Letty suggested. "Early start and everything."

"One more drink before we do?"

"Henry-"

"Look, once we're home, everyone's packing for universities and we're all probably going to different corners of the country. Let's enjoy being together for as long as we can." With everyone agreed, he signalled a waiter and ordered four shots. When they arrived, all of them took one.

"To our last trip together, until next summer," Henry announced, standing up and holding out his glass, the others followed suit.

"To us," Letty added, and everyone echoed the sentiment.

"To us!"

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Top 5 Most Hated Characters

As y’all can see, this week’s T5F is a request sent in by anon. I picked it because I guess at the time I thought it would be fun to explore some of TWDG’s least popular, and most hated, characters while also taking into account characters that I can’t stand. 

These are characters that the vast majority of us don’t like or downright despise for many different reasons. None of us are going out of our ways to defend most of these bastards, and anyone who is I get the impression they’re doing so for the sake of being Different™... though while looking around for info about these characters and what people were saying about them, I did find myself in some odd places.... come across, eh... odd fanart. 

But I guess this is the part where I say this is all in good fun and if you happen to be a legit stan of any of these people, that’s cool. Maybe you can answer some of my questions as to why??

5. Nate 

Okay, when I said that I found myself in odd places, it turns out that Nate actually has a bit of a fanbase. It’s not big or anything, from what I can tell, but big enough for me to question why because I was under the impression that we all agreed that this dude sucks.

Seriously, I would’ve put him higher on this list if I hadn’t discovered this handful of people making fanart for him and claiming him as a comfort character. While I find that an odd choice, you do whatever makes you feel comforted, y’know? Just would like to understand why. 

As for the rest of us, he’s terrible. Every time I go back to 400 days, he’s someone I never look forward to seeing. I’ve even tried not getting in the truck with him while playing Russell’s story, but in true Telltale fashion, you’re forced to drive along with this creep. 

Red flags start going off when Russell’s sharing his story about his previous group, something you can tell left some trauma with him, and Nate is just weirdly fixated on the girl Russell liked. Like yeah okay dude, I get it, it’s the apocalypse and you haven’t had any action for a while but oh my god. 

Then the whole walker thing that almost gets Russell chomped is annoying. Oh, and how could I forget about how it’s implied that he attacked the old couple before and was there to finish them off, which he does no matter what and it’s not great. 

Hell, he even uses the line Russell gave him but it’s worse because crazy eyes. And if you don’t say anything, Nate murders them right there without a thought and then continues to be a real creep. Fuck this guy. 

As the wise Eddie once said, “I don’t what that guy in my life, man!” 

4. The Stranger

Hey, have I ever mentioned how much this dude sucks? 

I don’t even have to tell you why he’s on this list. We all know the obvious reasons-- manipulated and kidnapped Clementine, which caused Lee to get bit by a walker and fucking die. No one here is white-knighting for this dipshit. 

Sure, it sucks what the Stranger went through. He lost his family and that would be enough to drive anyone up the wall. I mean, just look at Kenny. But this dude, okay. Look. Listen. I can only feel so bad for you when you lost your son on a hunting trip that your wife told you not to go on, then when you went looking for him, you literally left the car unlocked and running for anyone to come across. Then you come back and gasp. So your wife leaves you for being a moron... then when you find her dead, you cut off her head and keep it like a damn bowling ball because...??

At least that’s what I get from it. The writers probably should’ve done a better job with explaining what the hell happened but y’know. 

That’s not the only reason no one likes this guy. Oh no, you also add to the pile that the Stranger himself is dull. As a character, the dude is just.... boring. And I get that’s probably what they were going for with the whole “I’m just a guy, but you ruined my life and made me this way.” 

However, when you set him up the way you did with the talks over the walkie and the stalking, I was expecting a bit more personality outta this loaf of soggy bread. But no... boring yet crazy. Interesting combo and I’m afraid it doesn’t work. 

3. Larry

Larry?? On a list of most hated characters?? Nooo...

Yeah, surprise. Larry also sucks. Stop the presses. 

Larry is a pain in the ass to deal with for two episodes, constantly belittling the people around him and treating his daughter like shit. Oh, and don’t forget how he behaves towards Lee even if you try to be as nice as possible. Nope, he doesn’t care, he still thinks Lee is garbage and will continue threatening to reveal Lee’s secret to the group. Who cares if that could fuck up the dynamic and endanger the group? Larry sure doesn’t. 

Until the very end, this dude is just a splinter in the foot. By the time you get to the meat locker and he has a heart attack, you’re not gonna save him because you think he’ll be better if he survives. No, you’re attempting to save him for Lilly and Clementine’s sake, and if you don’t even care about that, you siding with Mr. Family Man to smash his head in. 

Not only is he a soiled diaper, he also don’t have much personality outside of asshole. He has maybe two moments where he’s shown to be just a bit chill? I mean, Lilly tells us that he has a lot of pain and that’s why he’s like this.... but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. 

Oh, and can’t forget that apparently he was obsessed with Lilly leaving the lights on so he let the power get cut, so Lilly couldn’t eat ice cream and had to let her hair air dry like a heathen. Unforgivable. 

So yeah, fuck Larry. 

2. Troy

Ugh, Troy. Fuck this guy. 

No really, out of all TWDG characters, this dude and my #1 pick are my most hated. Can’t stand Troy and the only reason I didn’t do a tie for #1 is because for a split second, Troy does show a tiny bit of humanity when Carver is beating down Carver, but blink and you’ll miss it.

Which had me a little concerned to find a handful of posts about having crushes on Troy and drawing fanart but.... again, I guess you do you? And if you can, please explain why because I honestly don’t understand. 

Just looking at the screenshot of him annoys him. He’s got one of those punchable faces, y’know? 

Anyway, when playing as Clementine, I’m always worried that he’s gonna pop up outta no where and grab her by the neck like he does later in ep3, even though I’ve played s2 a bunch to know that he’s not going to. 

But hell, he doesn’t need any excuse to smack anyone around, and there are a handful of times he can really hurt Clem depending on her choices. 

Not great, dude. 

Can’t say I’m too sorry that Jane shot your dick off. 

1. Badger

Yeah, you guys remember Badger. Y’know.... the man who murdered Mariana then laughed about it, claiming that he enjoyed watching her head explode and would do it again and again if he could? 

That’s what puts him at #1. He may not have the most screen time like Larry or Troy, but when he is around, he’s fucking awful.

He gets joy from killing Mariana, like it’s some sort of sick thrill for him to go around murdering children and other innocent people. 

Remember Francine? Caught her and used her as bait to try and get Javi to come down, and even went as far as to have some fingers cut off. Like, he gets off on destroying people, entire communities.

Shit, he seems to even get off to his own beat down. 

He’s fucking gross and outta everyone on this list, I haven’t found a single person being like “Yeah, he’s garbage but I like him kinda?” like no, you’re such garbage that even the Different™ crowd don’t want you. 

Fuck Badger. 

By the way, if you’ve never had Conrad kill him in your game, I suggest looking it up. It’s pretty good. Gives Conrad a little bit of closure after what happened to Francine, as well as give Javi some closure for Mari’s murder. 

Not a single soul wept for you, Badger. 

---

Dishonorable Mentions

-Joan. She’s boring, forgettable, and no one is out here gushing over her because most of the time, we can’t even remember her name. -Danny from Vince’s story in 400 Days. Y’know, the dude going to prison because he was convicted of SA. I’ll never understand why people go with him over Justin. Justin sucks, too, but not the same level Danny does.  -Lilly in S4. Ugh. That’s a whole other topic for another day. -Arvo, though I guess he has a bit of a following, too

---

Well there ya go. Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices for this list? Or have anything to add? I’m always down to chat.

Have any suggestions for future T5F’s? Feel free to send ‘em in! :D

---

Next week’s T5F Top 5 BROTPs

[maxwell-grant]

Sherlock Holmes for the Listing meme?

favorite thing about them

I have some pretty mixed feelings on Holmes where I never quite got into the character as much as I could or may have liked to, but at the same time, he's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember (I grew up legitimately thinking he was a real person and only discovered otherwise in my early teens, and Conan Doyle may have been the first big-name author I remember reading).

I guess if I had to narrow down something more personal, the idea of Holmes as this really smart, incredibly knowledged person, who nevertheless could be insensitive, awkward, lonely, disinterested in relationships or social occasions, and still be a well-respected hero with strong friendships and a noble purpose, might have been more important for me to read about back then than I gave it credit for at the time.

A lot of people are very attached to the idea that Holmes is autistic or "coded" as autistic, and I have some misgivings towards that idea (mainly because often times it seems to me like "coded" is just a replacement word for stereotype), but in retrospect, it kinda was important for me to read about a character who was a little more like, well, like me basically, than the usual adventure hero. I guess it's kinda why I distinctly remember being sad upon learning that Holmes wasn't a real person, even though by that point I really should have known better.

And to an extent I think that's also part of why Sherlock managed to effectively sustain the kind of popularity he had, that he felt "real" to begin with. That he appealed to audiences worldwide in ways even they didn't quite understand at the time. He was not the most published character worldwide, possibly not even the most popular one in his time, but he was modern and vivid to an extent that's allowed him to outlast the Nick Carters and Sexton Blakes and Nat Pinkertons of his time, and become not just THE touchstone of 19th century detective fiction, but also a popular and modern character today. Holmes appeals a lot to people who can't quite see themselves as an outgoing action hero, but who can use their intelligence and reasoning to improve conditions for others, and I definitely think he owes at least some of his iconic popularity to that thoughtfulness.

least favorite thing about them

Definitely when adaptations have him be rude or belittling or dismissive to Watson, that's easily the fastest way to get me to dislike a Sherlock adaptation, and sadly that's been a trend even in the earliest days of Sherlock adaptations or fanfic (which, back in the day, were basically the same thing). I'm also really not a fan of the more asshole takes on Sherlock that comically exaggerate how rude and insensitive he is, or takes that just make him a crimefighting Sheldon Cooper, and-

Actually I'm just gonna say BBC's Sherlock and call it a day.

favorite line

My dear fellow," said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, "life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generation, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.

brOTP

Well, duh. I'm also fond of the idea of him and Arsene Lupin having a more-friendly sort of rivalry, even if they can't quite be on the same side and I still ultimately prefer that Lupin takes the win (or at least the spiritual victory). And of course I have my pet headcanons about him and The Shadow being acquaintances.

OTP

None in particular. I like the popular headcanon that Holmes is asexual, and this doesn't exactly mean he can't have an amorous or sexual relationship with anyone, but generally I don't think of Holmes in those terms.

nOTP

Irene Adler. I think it kinda goes without saying too.

random headcanon

I'd like to play around with the idea of Sherlock often trying to find healthier outlets for his boredom and attention span, that aren't crime-solving or cocaine (largely thanks to Watson bugging him), that he spends an adventure trying to get the hang of while doing his thing, and may or may not turn out to be revelant

Like he's discussing crime scene details with Lestrade while balancing a broom on his foot El Chavo-style, and he remarks that, yes, of course this is research, the robber may have disguised himself as a janitor in order to sneak past police headquarters, and without fingerprints, he needs to try and measure the size and weight of the man by gauging the available brooms at the police station they could have used.

Lestrade doesn't question anything Sherlock does anymore, and Watson is trying very hard to keep a straight face because he knows it's not true, Holmes has been at this for over a week now at home, but it's been a slow week and he'll encourage anything if it keeps Holmes off the cocaine (can't make promises on nicotine though, but, baby steps).

unpopular opinion

I guess the closest I'd have to one would be that I actually prefer Holmes as more of a side character rather than an active protagonist and that I don't think the premise of "Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century" is the most idiotic thing ever and I am very willing to give the show a chance when I watch it.

I think maybe my real unpopular opinion as a Sherlock fan is that I don't think Arthur Conan Doyle was unjustified in his hatred of Sherlock's popularity, considering that he was dealing with an aggressive fandom long before people had an idea on how to deal with that sort of thing, and he could not have possibly predicted the sheer influence his character was going to have on fiction as a whole.

Also, he was right about some of the things he believed in. Yes, that includes the fairies. No, it doesn't make him any less gullible for having fallen for that trick.

song i associate with them

None in particular so instead I'm going to present the theme from The Great Mouse Detective, which I'm sure goes without saying is the best adaptation of Sherlock Holmes alongside those starred by Jeremy Brett, and DEFINITELY has the best version of Moriarty by a country mile.

favorite picture of them

For the moment I'm going to say this illustration by Jess Miriam. I love it's usage of shadow, it's background, the light coming off the pipe and the smoke encircling Holmes, and I love the scene it depicts from "The Man With The Twisted Lip", where Holmes at once seems to perform an act of utmost kindness but is, in reality, solving the mystery through a most unorthodox and yet ingenious method, all with the smallest of gestures. Definitely speaks a lot to what I most like about Sherlock Holmes

[iturbide]

Seeing the Sumia breakdown reminded me no one asked about Chrom, so... Chrom character breakdown so the whole trio is together? :D

You know what, you’re right, we do need the whole trio together

How do I feel about this character?

He’s just.  So amazing.  I didn’t go into Awakening completely blind, but I had no idea what Chrom was really like when I started, and within basically five minutes I knew that I wanted to marry him.  (This was a problem because I went with the beanpole on my first run and was playing the game straight, meaning I had no gay romance options; I consider this a travesty and it may have contributed to Future Built).  I showed a friend of mine the opening movies, and when we got to the one with Chrom and Lissa, right after Chrom helped Robin up off the ground and smiled she said, entirely unprompted, “I feel like I’m being seduced.”

And what’s so amazing about him is that it’s entirely uncalculated.  He’s not trying to charm people, he just has that way about him: he’s open and earnest and wants to help people, even if that means getting into dangerous situations -- and on top of that, he wants to trust people even if he’s told he shouldn’t.  He and Lissa might make fun of Frederick and his wariness, but honestly the man has a point; the fact that Chrom would rather let Frederick watch his back for him and give people the benefit of the doubt, rather than letting that mindset infect him and distrusting strangers, is so heartening to me, and one of the many things I really do love about him. 

He’s also flawed, though: he’s by no means a perfect person, and is susceptible to doubt and anger both.  Even if the game doesn’t give it the attention it deserves he has conflicting legacies that he’s trying to measure himself against: his father the warmonger, who he doesn’t want to be like but fears he’s becoming...and his sister the pacifist, who he wants to live up to but fears he’ll never manage.  It makes a fascinating internal character conflict and helps round him out further into his own person, rather than being just another generic blue-haired Lord.

Who do I ship this character with romantically?

ROBIN.  From day one it has always been Robin, because the entire game revolves around the bond between these two people.  Even if you don’t marry Chrom, the fact is that he and Robin trust one another implicitly, such that Lucina’s herself knows that the person he trusted most in the world took his life; she might not immediately put the pieces together, but it speaks volumes for their relationship.  And honestly, the way it’s built, especially in the M!Robin supports, is so incredible: the trust and care between these two people who want to help each other and who can and do rely on one another is incredible, and makes a rock solid foundation for romance down the line.  They’re just amazing together and I love it.

Also I wholeheartedly ship him with Sumia because she’s wonderful and brings an entirely different set of skills and outlooks to the table that I think can and would be very useful to the halidom as it continues to grow under Chrom’s watch.  And yes, it’s improved 5,000% when he’s with both Sumia and Robin together (because I stand by my OT3).

Who is my brOTP for this character?

Sully, hands down.  I’m pretty sure in their supports they talk about how they’ve known each other since they were kids, and I really love the idea of these two growing up together, training together, becoming super tight as friends and being constantly ready to have each other’s backs.  Sully also makes a fantastic wingman for Chrom, let’s be real here.  Vaike is another that I really enjoy, because the idea of them having this friendly rivalry where they’re constantly sparring and trying to one-up each other is really fun.  Having them be just a chaos trio together is one of my favorite things and I really need to find a place to put that in because it’s arguably hilarious to think about Chrom getting terrible advice for how to flirt with someone from Vaike and getting smacked upside the head later by Sully after failing spectacularly with it.

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?

He’s really not that dumb, you guys.  Fandom loves to play up that one line from Gaius’ support with Olivia about Chrom eating an unpeeled orange (which may not even be true, it could have just been Gaius trying to make Olivia laugh), and conflating it with the idea that he’s dumb as a box of rocks.  There is very little that frustrates me more than the whole “moronsexual” joke that runs around fandom with regards to him and Robin, and it’s just not fair to Chrom as a person.  He’s not an idiot: he can do dumb things, like most people, but he is also a very capable and considerate person, and an accomplished fighter: if he were really as stupid as fandom likes to play up, he’d have been dead before getting any kind of proficiency with a sword.  Just because he can lose focus and mess up doesn’t mean that he’s a hopeless idiot.

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?

Okay so this is probably weird but I honestly wish that he’d tried to talk to Grima in the end.  Most of the conversation after Validar’s death at the Dragon’s Table is between Robin and Grima, and the final battle starts with the call to arms rather than any attempt to engage with the Fell Dragon; basically Chrom writes Grima off as unreachable and a force that needs to be destroyed based solely on Grima’s words, Lucina’s news of the future, and Naga’s insistence that it has to be done...even though Grima doesn’t actually hurt them at any point before the final battle. 

Do you see how weird that is?  Grima could, logically, have gone ahead and shot Chrom through the heart with a Thoron at the Dragon’s Table, since they state flat-out that they were the one who killed Chrom in Lucina’s timeline and that they share the same Heart of Grima with Robin, so it arguably would have fulfilled the same purpose regardless of whose hand summoned the spell -- but they didn’t.  They talked a big game and the giant dragon came back but Chrom at no point took fire from Grima -- heck, even after raising the dragon form Grima lets them go, flying off past Origin Peak and letting them parley with Naga.

Considering the fact that Chrom made an attempt to talk Walhart into a laying down his arms and forging an alliance, and willingly engaged twice with Validar in good faith (once after the events at Port Ferox, once after returning in hopes of acquiring Sable), it seems bizarre to me that he wouldn’t do the same with Grima.  He’s been trying so hard to hold true to his sister’s virtues of peace, of trying to talk rather than going immediately to arms the way his father would have, that it feels like he’s backsliding in the final battle when his quote facing Grima in combat is literally “I come to end you.”  I just wish he’d remembered Emmeryn’s ways in that moment, and at least tried; even if it failed like it did with Walhart, it would have been a powerful reminder that he’s still trying to live up to the best influence in his life.

Give Me a Character    

[microsuedemouse]

last night I had an Absolute Stranger pop up in my notes to be totally hostile out of nowhere about my interpretations of some fictional characters. I took the initiative to block them because they were engaging in bad faith and clearly had no interest in discussing the subject. now they don't have to see my content anymore and everyone wins! but I've been thinking about it ever since, and I wanted to share some thoughts here, with those of you who are reasonable and not just trying to start arguments with people you've never interacted with before. I know that at times I've collected large numbers of young, passionate followers, so I think this is a discussion worth having with anyone who's willing to converse in good faith!

one of the most fundamental truths of how human beings interact with fiction is that every single member of the audience is going to have a different take on the story. if you ask me, this is also one of the most beautiful and interesting things about engaging with other fans of something. everyone is bringing something different to the table when they sit down to read, watch, listen, play, or otherwise take in the tale. everyone is going to have their own context through which to understand the characters and events in the story. when you're dealing with literally anything that isn't expressly stated by the storytelling, you're dealing with interpretation, and there is never only one correct way to interpret a story or character. this just isn't how fiction works.

let me give you a good, clear example of what I mean. several years ago, in one of my university classes, I read Karen Russell's short story St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. the story is about a group of girls - maybe werewolves, maybe only feral children; it's left somewhat ambiguous - who are taken from their wolf families and re-educated by nuns to be proper young ladies. they're made to sit up straight and cut their wild hair and speak only in human languages, giving up the howling and growling they've used all their lives. it's difficult and unnatural for them. when my prof asked us what the story reminded us of, I was the one who brought up residential schools, and it seemed that a lot of my classmates agreed with me: the similarities were striking, even if Russell hadn't had that in mind. but an autistic classmate of mine had a different comparison to make - to her, the story was uncomfortably reminiscent of the treatment received by many autistic children, being forced to give up everything that comes naturally to them and conform to other people's expectations of their behaviour. both of these reads were completely legitimate.

you don't have to have an english or literature degree to understand this concept. think back to your early experiences writing essays in school, based on a book you'd been assigned to read. think about your teachers telling you: make a point, and then use evidence to convince me. this is one of the most basic ways that we engage with fiction on an academic level. and when it comes to fandom, we don't even have to go that far! while many fans love to put a lot of thought into their interpretations, headcanons, fanfics, meta, and other fanworks, many don't. there are a lot of reasons for this, from wanting to see yourself reflected in the characters you love to simply having fun shaking things up. you don't have to justify your interpretations (or your reinterpretations). you're allowed to play in the sandbox just because it's a good time.

a lot of us, when we really love a story or character, get incredibly passionate about our interpretations. that's normal and understandable. and so, naturally, we're also going to find people whose interpretations fly in the face of our own. but people who disagree with you are not inherently wrong. people are incredibly complex, which means two things: one, real people are going to have all kinds of complex factors affecting how they read a story, and two, there are virtually infinite ways to interpret fictional people when the information you're working with is necessarily limited. when they're working from the same baseline information, two people can have two wildly different understandings of a character and neither of them is objectively more correct than the other.

(this intersects a lot with conversations about coding and authorial intent. both of these are their own huge discussions that I'm not going to get into in detail here. both are important in their own ways, but when you cut down to the bone, the basic truth remains that audience interpretations are still going to go in all directions and that's still allowed. even when you're working exclusively with interpretations that aim to be entirely canon-compliant, neither coding nor authorial intent is the same thing as explicit canon. yes, it's still crappy to erase heavy queer-coding [for example] in media where that's the best representation that creators can offer us; that's a matter of social issues intersecting with fiction, which is another huge discussion of its own. but even what qualifies as 'heavy' coding is going to vary from one audience member to the next.)

for me, this incredible variety of interpretation is one of fandom's greatest strengths! I have made friends with people whose character interpretations are incredibly different from mine, or whose favourite ships are the ones I can't stand, or who hated stories I loved. I think trading these ideas, discussing the differences in our readings of the same subject matter, is so interesting. learning how someone reads a character or storyline, and why they read it that way, is always really illuminating for me! discussing our differing interpretations can be such an interesting way to learn about other people's points of view and broaden your own perspective. I so strongly encourage it. embrace the passion you share, rather than starting arguments about things that ultimately don't have much in the way of impact on your real-world existence. for sure, yeah, block the weirdo who romanticises an abusive ship that gives you the creeps. but when you meet someone who headcanons your favourite character to be a completely different sexuality than you do, or who ships your brotp romantically... there's huge potential there for some really engaging conversations.

this isn't a manifesto. the topic of fan interpretation is enormous, and includes so many smaller discussions, and intersects with so many other issues. I'm not claiming to have covered all the bases here. I just really encourage you all to accept that there are no Objectively Correct Opinions - that's not how opinions work! you know that, I know you do! and when you do come across work that's just so far from your interpretation that you can't stand it... just don't engage. scroll on past. block the poster if you want. no one is making you look at fanwork that you don't like. you are not obligated to interact with the people creating that work in any way. please, for the love of god, curate your own fandom experience. someone doodling fanart for a ship that doesn't jibe with you isn't hurting you. you have the power to remove it from in front of your eyes and go find something else you like better. go engage with things that do interest you!! you will be happier for it!!!

[crashingmeteorz]

jinjetsongko headcanons

in other words i love the idea of the jinxjetxsongxzuko brotp and want it to be real, desperately (based off of @azenkii’s awesome post)

first and foremost, jet never spots iroh firebending his tea. he simply does not see it. this prevents a whole host of other disasters.

jet visits zuko c o n s t a n t l y. he’s desperately trying to start up a ba sing se chapter of the freedom fighters, which ticks off longshot and smellerbee, who wanted a new life.

jet stays friends with longshot and smellerbee by pretending he’s cool with that, but by night he’s meeting up with zuko, sharing conspiracy theories about the dai li and ideas on how to break into the upper ring undetected. zuko flat-out rejects the ideas at first but he starts itching for something, anything to do, so he goes along with it.

jin thinks they’re both cute but is also pretty sure they’re in love with each other (they’re really not sure, tbh. jet is into zuko but in the way that everyone is - zuko’s hot, guys. zuko’s still figuring out how to be a normal teenager and all this attention is weird. either way, it’s something they need to figure out and jin absolutely does not want to get in the middle of it.)

zuko seems like the more stable one between the two of them, though, so jin asks him out. jet hypes him up the night of, so right before he meets jin zuko’s just bombarded with proverbs from his uncle and a lot of inappropriate advice from jet. the date goes pretty much the same since zuko chooses to ignore both of them.

jet absolutely loses it on zuko when he finds out that he actually managed to kiss the girl and then just ran away. jet believes this reflects poorly on him, and he begs jin to give zuko another chance.

jin can read the room, though, and, frankly, does not care to get in the middle of their homoerotic tension. after all, she’s pretty sure zuko cut the date short because he’s not ready for a relationship, and she’s basically right.

it should also be mentioned that at this point, jin’s figured out zuko’s a fire bender, and she kind of assumes his uncle is, too, and even though she doesn’t give a shit since they’re clearly refugees, she can tell there’s some weird backstory going on there and she is NOT going to be the fix-it girlfriend, no way.

so she tells jet she’ll hang out with them as friends.

“okay,” jet says easily, sliding into the booth across from her. “friend, do you ever want...i don’t know, more than the lower ring can offer?”

from behind the counter, zuko audibly groans because if the failed date wasn’t enough, now jet’s gonna recruit this girl into their stupid gang which zuko didn’t even want to be part of in the first place, JET!

jin doesn’t have any particular skills, but she’s quick on her feet and knows basic hand-to-hand combat. i headcanon she’s grown up in ba sing se, maybe coming to the lower ring as a little girl, and, since it’s not exactly a safe city, most kids either learn how to fend for themselves, or they disappear.

most importantly - she knows the city like the back of her hand, and she knows how to avoid the dai li.

around the same time jet’s cajoling her into joining their “stupid goofy not cool gang” as zuko calls it, even though he’s basically a co-founder, a quiet girl and her mother move into the same tennement building as jin.

i imagine jin lives alone or with distant family, so song and her mother are a welcome pair. song and jin immediately strike up a friendship, with song being impressed by jin’s outgoing nature and worldliness, and jin being endeared to song’s kindness and hopeful attitude, despite the fact that her home was burned down for a second time.

(something about the fire princess herself on the hunt or something, song and her mother didn’t really stick around long enough to find out.)

jin really wants to introduce song to her other friends, but hanging out with zuko and jet is shaping up to be something very dangerous, and sweet song doesn’t strike her as the type to be interested in that kind of thing.

until, one evening, jin is followed home by a strange man. she doesn’t even notice, she’s too busy laughing at some idiotic stunt jet had pulled and thinking maybe his stupid gang would be kind of fun, and she’s about to reach her door when the stranger grabs her.

she screams, but it’s quiet and dark and no one’s around to care. she struggles, bites at him, but he’s stronger and he’s dragging her away. just as she’s certain this is the end, the man collapses behind her and his hold is released.

there stands song, a long, thin needle in her hand, a terrified expression on her pale face. the two girls stare at each other, illuminated by the light of the open door to their building. suddenly a tall shadow pours over them, and song’s mother is there, looking deadly serious. she checks on jin and song, checks the man’s pulse, and then looks between the two girls.

“we’ll need to get rid of the body” song’s mother tells them. “jin, you know this city. where can we dump it?”

jin’s mind is blank for a few seconds, and then all at once is starts working again.

“stay here” she tells song’s mother, as they drag the body inside, for now. “in case we need an alibi, we were with you. i know a place”

the place is the tea shop, where zuko and jet are fortunately still loitering. jin barely explains the situation and the boys are running after her and song. it’s dark, and the situation is urgent so they don’t really take the time to get acquainted with song or bother to look too long at each other.

it’s not until they’ve wrapped the body up that zuko looks at song properly, and song looks at zuko, and they both freeze.

“what’s with you two?” jin asks, desperately trying to act normal and needing her friends to do the same. there’s a beat of silence. and then-

“nothing” they say at the same time, and get back to business.

in the end, the four teens dump the body in the sewers, strip it of any valuables which they toss across the city, and hope the anonymity of the lower ring will keep them safe.

they’re in this thing together, now. jin is in shock that she just covered up a murder, song is grappling with the fact that she just committed a murder, zuko is freaking out that song’s gonna out him as a thief to his new friends (which is a whole other can of worms because he has friends now?), and jet’s just excited that he has a new gang.

they start hanging out regularly, switching between the tea shop and jin’s and song’s building, and one evening zuko finally can’t take the tension anymore and privately asks song and her mother why they haven’t said anything. song and her mother look at each other, and seem to have a mental conversation.

finally song’s mother says “you helped my daughter. your debt is repaid” and she leaves the two of them alone.

“and besides” song tells him, patting his cheek on the unscarred side, “it’s always good to have a deep dark secret to hold over your friends!”

“you have no idea” zuko thinks.

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  masterpost

[emmaswcns]

hey renee! 💖 how about emma, regina and neal for the character headcanon asks? :)

libby !!! i miss you & thank you !!! <33333

going under a read more so i don't jam up everyone's dash boards lmao

( also tagging @swiftbarnes bc my angel sent in emma and regina too 🤍 )

emma swan:

Sexuality Headcanon: i rly don't like answering these questions bc they end up getting hate in my inbox lmao but imo emma is NOT straight (see examples: lily, regina, ruby and aurora) but she also has great sexual chemistry with men (examples: neal, hook, jefferson, august, graham). so i wanna say bisexual?

A ship I have with said character: should this be a random one? bc obviously everyone knows i love me some swanqueen and captain swan lmao but i guess i'll go w the one most prominent to me rn: emma and will scarlett. i know they had brief interactions, but omg, idk why but i loved their banter back and forth and how emma was so casual w him even though she didn't know him? she doesn't tend to act that way w strangers, especially someone who was breaking into libraries and ruining her date lmao, but i just thought they were cute. obviously knew it would never happen, but i dig it

A BROTP I have with said character: emma and elsa forever. elsa was the perfect friend for emma and i'm so happy that they met and had an entire arc together. my heart broke when elsa left emma though. i wish elsa and anna stayed in storybrooke so emma could have a best friend :(

A NOTP I have with said character: emma & rumple! ofc, no judgment/shame on anyone who does ship it, just not for me.

A random headcanon: emma has a praise kink lmao and that's that on that lmao

General Opinion over said character: emma is the light of my life and i love her so fucking much. i am so sad about how her character from (i wanna say) season 6 on got destroyed and diminished to whatever/whoever she was by the end, but the good thing about the tv show/fic is you can always go back and re-watch emma's good times on the show or read fic with better alternative endings for her character!

regina mills:

Sexuality Headcanon: also same as emma but i get the sense that she prefers women more than men.

A ship I have with said character: i honestly don't ship regina w anyone other than emma? like wow i hate myself for that lmao but i just don't see it w anyone? i didn't like her and robin, we barely knew daniel... i guess i understand the allure of regina & mal? but idk. wow. i suck lmao. rumple maybe? like evil queen regina and rumple i can totally see lol

A BROTP I have with said character: i love regina's relationship with the charmings' and how they all evolve into one big found family. i love how regina still calls them names and acts like she hates them, but really, she knows david, snow and emma are her best friends lmfao

A NOTP I have with said character: ummmm... i can literally imagine regina w anyone? lmao probably my notp would be zelena? but idk everyone in this show is somehow related in some way so lmao

A random headcanon: i s2g it’s not just bc i love swanqueen lmao but i always got the vibe that regina was in love w emma and emma is totally oblivious. like regina’s “happy ending” was supposedly robin but he didn’t even last through the show so lol no & she never got with anyone else (i never watched the last season so i may be ignorant to her finding her true love but i’ve seen a lot of posts and it doesn’t seem that way but pls correct me if i’m wrong!) she never got over emma and hook being together (i.e., all her rude comments about them, never warming to hook), her facial expression when she learns emma’s engaged, that look at emma’s wedding.... just she’s in love w emma and she knows it’s unrequited love bc emma is dumb (i made myself sad okay wow bye)

General Opinion over said character: i can’t believe that i used to hate her. the first time i watched the show, i despised regina and idk why! i think deep down she’s my favorite character (emma i’m sorry). her redemption arc and everything, just so good. i love her so much. she deserves the world.

neal cassidy:

Sexuality Headcanon: pretty straight. this show had a way of making everyone feel kinda gay in some sort of way but neal was always pretty straight to me 

A ship I have with said character: SWANFIRE. there’s nothing else. just emma and neal forever.

A BROTP I have with said character: i wish that neal and killian were able to make amends had neal survived bc they would’ve been a great duo. also love neal and belle’s relationship as well.

A NOTP I have with said character: neal x hook. again, no shame in anyone’s shipping game, just not for meeeee. 

A random headcanon: well in my head neal never fucking died and he and emma raised henry together along w regina and they all went to parent-teacher conferences and dealt with bad grades together. emma and neal would obviously be the less strict parents where regina is, well, regina. neal, if not romantically with emma, would’ve found someone (*cough* tallahaasee *cough*) and they would’ve been one big happy family together ugh

General Opinion over said character: i truly believe that the writers killed him off to pave the way for emma and hook. i think as long as neal was around, emma’s character wouldn’t of fully given herself to hook and the writers knew that so they took him out of the equation entirely. i think it would’ve been so cute for neal to be there w emma and support her for moving on and all that. i truly believe neal was emma’s true love (swanqueen feels aside lmao) but they didn’t need to kill him off to prove that he wasn’t. i could be totally wrong and the actor had other engagements but it’s just my opinion hahaha

[gra-sonas]

Hey love, so I'm rewatching the show I'm thinking about the characters that haven't been paired up yet lmfao and there are some really great possible combinations here, I'd love it if we get a wlw couple maybe Isobel and Rosa or Isobel and Maria or even rosa and Maria, all three ave very intriguing to me. Isobel and Rosa had some great chemistry in those flashback scenes even though technically it wasn't Isobel the actor chemistry is still there, Isobel and Maria have an interesting if underdeveloped dynamic and Maria and Isobel could serve some friends to lovers excellence we don't have that on the show. As for Kyle, I also see him with either Isobel or Maria tbh, they would both serve, I would also love it if he was bi/pan and he had a male love interest. This is one of those rare shows where almost all the characters could be paired up in interesting ways( although I didn't necessarily ship them Liz/Kyle Maria/Michael and Kyle/Alex had wonderful chemistry in different ways as well) I would also love it if we had an ot3, there have barely been a couple of decent ones in anything ever, like that would would so good, an actual polyamorous loving relationship. The possibilities are endless I just hope they're not afraid to go there because while we're making strides in representation 99% if they already have a queer relationship will not have another one and if they do go there fingers crossed they back it up with good writing, it would be such a waste if they didn't take advantage of the overflowing chemistry between everyone, when it comes to friendships too, I want to see more interactions between everyone, strangers things has an even bigger cast of main characters and fewer episodes and they manage to give some beautiful platonic relationships. It would work here too where we have people in pairs or threes working on something together for a few episodes and then switch it up and then everyone teams up for the last 2 or three. Lol sorry for the long essay I just see endless potential because of how great and diverse the cast is as well as the possibilities mystery and overarching plot, the show has been decent so far, handling some things far better than others but it could be so much better in my opinion.

Maribel 😭 Forever upset that S2 (very likely) killed that pairing bc they came up with that BS storyline of them somehow being related.

WHAT A LOSS! They have such amazing chemistry, and Heather and Lily have both stated in the past that they'd be down for it.

I mean, LOOK AT THEM???

And on the show?

🔥 Y 🔥 E 🔥 S 🔥

Anyway, it's unlikely for them to ever make them an item bc of the "Isobel is Maria's aunt" thing. :(

Ngl, Isobel/Rosa worked for me when they were the same age (and I assumed there was some kind of real mutual interest), now that the dynamics have shifted, I kinda like them better as friends. I'm really not someone to condemn an age gap, I just think that Rosa has so much on her plate, and she still has so many experiences to make, if they'd both be 10 years older respectively (and Rosa had had a chance to grow up, find a job she likes, make some life experiences of her own etc) it would for much better for me. Anyway, Lily and Amber definitely have chemistry, so who knows. I'm here for allllllllll the wlw pairings! \0/

I'm a strictly Kylex BroTP person, so that's not a pairing I'd want to see explored romantically, however, I really digged Kyle and Max sleuthing together last season! That was surprisingly good, and they had great chemistry.

And Isobel and Kyle? HELL YEAH. Sadly their best scene is from that cursed episode I'll never in my life touch again, but I've always been a huge Kybel fan. Although I have to say that Kyliz is my OTP. I know, I know, they'll never be endgame, but I love them together. And while I'm DYING to see Isobel exploring her sapphic side, Belmanes has grown so near and dear to my heart, I'm not yet willing to let go of the idea of them ending up together. 🥺

Kyle and Maria could be interesting, no idea whether the show's going to pair off more main characters with each other tho. We'll see.

And while I absolutely don't mind OT3s, I'm not exactly yearning for one tbh. And honestly, after the absolute WORST way to force one on us last season, I'm kinda violently opposed to the idea of this show ever getting another shot at pairing three people together.

I'd rather they focus on writing decent storylines for the core 8, write an EXCEPTIONAL COSMIC love story for Malex, and otherwise put in the effort of telling good love stories for the other characters - especially when they are queer storylines.

Lol sorry for the long essay I just see endless potential because of how great and diverse the cast

Oh, I get that, nonnie (and no need to apologize!), the cast members are all amazing, and they have such great chemistry with each other (on and off screen), it's easy to imagine all kinds of things (and hell, that's what fandom's for, right?). :D

[dreamingofcrows]

I’m Gonna Be The One That Let’s You Down

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch, Adam Parrish, Joseph Kavinsky, Richard Gansey III, Noah Czerny, Mr. Gray | Dean Allen, Maura Sargent, Blue Sargent, this was inspired by idle worship and it was sort of just meant to be a quick song fic, I extrapolated it majorly on accident, so now there's two chapters, whoops, Ronan Lynch Has Feelings, Adam Parrish Is Trying His Best, there's, Angst Hurt/Comfort, Theres the iconic 'I can't fix his demons' line , its a meet cute, kind of, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Just Boys being dudes, in the break before they go to Harvard, what is Adam actually studying at Harvard, would love to know, Uhm, Niall Lynch is dead, Background Robert Parrish, He Still Sucks, grief group, someone get Lynch some therapy, no beta we die like gansey, which means somehow I keep coming back wtf, No Love Confessions, because they've only known each other for like two weeks, inaccurate translation of a classic language, Noah and Ronan brotp, Alive Noah Czerny, Minor Joseph Kavinsky/Ronan Lynch , Joseph Kavinsky Being an Asshole

Ronan is going to kill Kavinsky when he saw him next. The next time that fuckshit of a Mitsubishi rides up beside him, Ronan is going to box him in and wrap him around the closest tree. He’s going to watch the white steel and rubber crack and break and compact in one itself as a wonderful, sweet sweet act of vengeance.

K had known there was cops at the end of that street, the prick. When K had slid, turned and disappeared down a side road, Ronan had thought he had found and taken a shortcut. He was determined to beat Kavinsky at his own game so he’d slammed the pedal to the floor and zipped past a cluster of patrol cars going 35 over the speed limit.

It was only Dick’s Ganseying that landed Ronan here, in an uncomfortable plastic chairs, surrounded by pathetic fucking sobs, instead of in jail (“five traffic infractions this month, Ronan. What else do you want me to do?”). Ironic, that all of the things to have occurred in the past five years; dead dad, vegetable mum, his life and his failed attempt at ending it, that street racing was the thing that got him thrown into a grief support group. Two times a week. For the next 12 weeks.

Court ordered. Fuck that.

But Gansey had asked (begged, ordered, threatened to call Declan) so Ronan did, like he always did. He sat in the uncomfortable chairs, sipped bitter fucking coffee, ate tasteless squares of sponge cake, rolled his eyes at everyone’s damned sob story and—stared.

Everyone in the group was so uninteresting, including the leader of the group—some man dressed in all gray, like he was dressing for the part—except for one other guy. He looked to be about Ronan’s age, all Sepia tones and brown in contrast to Ronan’s black and pale colours. He sat beside the Gray Man every single week and nodded along when everyone talked. He smiled at everyone when he handed out tiny Styrofoam cups of instant coffee and helped The Gray Man fold and stack the chairs at the end of every session. He was damn beautiful.

Once he’d put his hand up (put his hand up, what the fucking fuck) to ask someone a question and Ronan hadn’t been able to tear his eyes away from it. His fingers were long, his knuckles protruding out slightly, and the jutting bone on his slim wrist poked out like he’d broken it at some point. The same freckles that scattered his face also splashed across the tanned skin of his hand, and his palms were calloused and dark, with a long scar along the flesh of one of them. They were fascinating, they were strange, they were beautiful.

The speaker had stuttered a confused and tearful ‘yes?’ and gladly carried on answering his question. Ronan only learned his name in the second meeting, Adam Parrish.

Adam Parrish sat by The Gray Man because he volunteered to run the program on the occasion the Gray Man would have to go away on business out of town. His accent was slight but still obviously Virginian, drawing out the words with a soft, honeyed drawl. He always encouraged people to speak, but never spoke himself, not in the time Ronan had been going.

He also never looked at Ronan or spoke to him. But maybe that had more to do with his complete disinterest. Arms crossed, scowl permanently on. The first time Mr Gray had called on Ronan to speak, Ronan had gone bright red and scoffed. No way he was going to start blubbering to a bunch of random strangers about his problems. He’d stayed completely silent, only glaring and baring his teeth at anyone who looked at him, barely holding himself back from walking out. Adam had seemed to take one look at him and decide ‘nope, not worth my time.’

Which, fine, he didn’t want Adam to waste time on him anyway. He only had to be here for two more months and then he’d be outta there, back to drinking and racing himself into a tizzy, and he wouldn’t come back here again. Besides, Adam is probably grieving or something, and including Ronan in that wouldn’t help at all.

keep reading

Idle Worship by Paramore

[aelin-queen-of-terrasen]

"Are you going to be okay?" + "Please stop lying to me" for either Rowaelin or someone from the Cadre (Rowan and Lorcan or Fenrys and Connal)

note: so like, since we need more Lorcan and Aelin brotp fics, I'm gonna do them for this one. hope you don't mind. if you'd like to check out my other fics, here's the masterlist.

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Lorcan hated how much he was used to Terrasen now, hated how it felt like home more than Doranelle ever had. In the five centuries he had been alive, he had never imagined this is where he would end up. Bloodsworn to a queen of fire and ash, as wild as she was reckless. A queen who actually cared for her people and her court. A queen who no doubt hated his guts ever since that cursed day on the beach. He had nightmares about that gods damned day sometimes, of Aelin being bruised and battered. Aelin may have forgiven him but he couldn't forgive himself.

He had tried to avoid her as much as he could, didn't want to get close to the wicked queen and had done a good job at keeping away from her until today.

"You're sure there's no one else who can do this?" he asked, hesitant.

Emrys, the cook, quirked an eyebrow at that. The storykeeper had a bowl of steaming soup in his hand. "Prince Rowan isn't here and she's sick. Do you want to be the one to tell him why I let just some servant into close quarters with her when she was ill disposed?" The man had a point. The Fae part of him wanted to growl at the mere thought of letting anyone near her, not when she was probably passed out.

Lorcan sighed in resignation before he was making his way towards her private chambers, the bowl of soup in his hand. He knocked twice on the door of her private chambers and entered when a muffled voice replied, 'The door's open.' She had likely heard him arrive with her fae senses. He almost wished she hadn't let him in.

He didn't know what he expected but the fire breathing bitch queen hunched over papers, her quarters resembling a trash bin was not it.

She had her head propped up with one hand, another holding a piece of parchment that her eyes skimmed through. She half turned in her seat and gave him a wry smile when she spotted the bowl of soup in his hand. "First my bloodsworn warrior, now my personal servant? I'm impres—" the words were cut off by a sneeze, then another and another in quick succession.

She rose from her seat, then flicked a hand in dismissal. "Thank you. You can leave now." But then she was stumbling, eyes half shut and Lorcan barely caught her in time.

She righted herself soon, pulling away from him. Her cheeks and nose were pink from the cold outside, face uncharacteristically pale and turquoise eyes lacking their usual gleam of wickedness.

He frowned. "Are you going to be fine?" It was a stupid question. The woman was trying to work when she was so sick. She was anything but fine.

"Yeah, just a cold. You'd think after all the shit with Maeve and Erawan, I'd be immune to something as trivial as cold." Her humour failed to hit it's mark when a coughing fit seized her. She said, "You can leave. I'll be fine."

Lorcan didn't know what came over him, only that she was being an idiot and he needed her to rest if she was going to recover. "Stop lying to me! You aren't fine, you should rest." He pushed her back on the chair she had been sitting in, shoved the papers aside and slammed the bowl of soup in front of her. "Finish this."

"I don't—"

"Aelin, finish this now."

Short of using the blood oath to make him leave, there was nothing she could do that would make him leave. Lorcan doubted she'd use the oath and he wasn't leaving until he was sure she was fine, even if she did try to kill him a lot of times. For all he knew, she still did want to kill him.

Aelin grumbled but obeyed. "Damn you overprotective fae bastards."

While she ate, Lorcan drew the curtains shut to keep the cold air out, lit the fireplace when she didn't light it herself and tidied up the bed, making space for her to lay down between all the dresses sprawled on it. He could call in a servant to clean all that up but his fae instincts wouldn't let anyone within a hundred feet of her until he was sure his queen was safe and protected. Whatever reason Lorcan had for taking the blood oath, she was his queen now. It was his duty to protect her.

Aelin was back to working by the time he was done. "You're not working anymore, Aelin. Finish that tomorrow."

"I won't finish in time if I stop now."

"You will," he nudged her to rise. "If it's so important, I'll help you finish. For now, you need to go to bed."

She looked ready to protest and Lorcan was prepared to throw her over his shoulder, then chain her to her bed if that's what it took. Aelin must have known that because she surrendered and moved to lay down in her bed. Lorcan watched her closely should she stumble again. He didn't want to explain to Rowan why and how his wife fell face first onto the floor when the prince returned.

Aelin cocked her head at him when Lorcan moved to pull up the covers. "What, now you're tucking me in? Are you going to kiss my forehead, then sing me to sleep next, father?"

Insufferable, as always. "Can you please stop, Aelin?" he asked.

But of course, she couldn't stop. When had she ever stopped? "You didn't even call me bitch! Look at us bonding together! Elide bribed you into this, didn't she?" A pointed look at that. "You're going soft on me, Salvaterre."

He ignored the jibes, then turned to leave the room once he made sure she was safe and warm. "I'll be right outside, call me if you need something." Then he pulled back, scanning the room for any safety hazards before he left.

Aelin cleared her throat, stopping him with a hand on his wrist. "You don't have to do this. I know you don't like me, it's alright. I understand."

She didn't understand shit. He wished Elide had bribed him into doing this or something so he could claim he was here against his will. He didn't want to care for anyone else, not now, not after all that he had done and seen and lived. Especially not for another queen, one just as powerful—if not more—than Maeve. Sometimes, Lorcan had nightmares about that too—about serving in Maeve's court still, wreaking havoc in her name. He didn't want to end up devoted to this new queen as he'd been to Maeve even if he knew the two of them were nothing alike.

Maybe it was that realisation that made Lorcan want to say it. "I've never said it before, not like this but I'm sorry for what happened with Maeve." His voice wobbled as an image of a blood drenched shirt lying in the sad flashed across his vision. Lorcan steeled himself and went on. Aelin had saved his life and Elide's countless times. He owed her this truth, "...you were a foreign queen, a stranger I didn't care about. Now, Aelin? Now, you're my queen and I promise, oath or no oath, I will always protect you." Then, just to lift the mood, he added with a scowl: "Even if you are a raging pain in the ass most times."

Aelin snorted, nudging him to sit beside her. Hellas damn him, he did. "And here I was, thinking we'd become friends after that speech."

"The only way we'll be friends is if you use the blood oath to do that."

Aelin shot him a glare before she snuggled closer, head resting on his chest as if she was trying to leech off his warmth. "It won't be the worst thing in the world to have you around the palace sometimes, I suppose," she mused, her voice muffled and soft. Lorcan didn't move even when her breathing turned soft and steady, his arm wrapped around her.

He didn't regret a thing until the court returned to find the two of them wrapped in a warm embrace. Needless to say, no one let Lorcan forget about it for the next few weeks.

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note: oof, hope y'all liked reading that. it was fun to write Lorcan and Aelin. Would totally do it again. also, not to self promote but join the 1K celebration if you haven't already!

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