#I don’t cry easily when reading about fandoms I’m in

[thefabledpheasant]

I just saw a tiktok by @jacklesspn that showed a picture of Cas with the text:

“remembering he’s never been told he’s loved”

WHAT??? Oh my god I’ve never considered NO ONE has ever said that to him and now it’s all I can think about.

How could you do this to me.

How could they do this to him.

[comfortless]

what's ur most unconventional Headcanon? like ones you have that most of the fandom doesn't agree with. mine is that I don't think h's 6'10, in my mind he's closer to 6'6 or 6'7. Also I don't think he would be the most caring bf 😶😶 like not abusive or anything, but to me he will almost always prioritize himself in the long run

HA… well….. i do not think any of mine are too strange! but i can not ever shush when someone has lent an ear to listen!!

warning for nsfw content, mentions of injury, and unhealthy relationship stuff below the cut.

i agree with you about his height. he’s significantly taller than Simon, but i would place him at 6’7”-6’8” max. i’m no health or military expert, but i do not think that he could do the work that he does efficiently if he were a complete Goliath. he would stand out so easily! and there are a slew of issues that can stem from someone being “too tall”. he probably doesn’t have the best posture, either.

i love the conventionally attractive, long-haired König headcanons, they’re fun! but ultimately… very, very unrealistic for my interpretation of König. i tend to side with Salome and Ghost when it comes to their takes on how he actually looks under the hood. his character description suggests that his face is scary, and judging by the game that he’s in, i do not think that the other operators are going to find some goth guy nor… Jim Boeven… to be worthy of such a rumor!

König’s face is always going to be a fluctuating thing for me, heavily dependent on the setting/time period i’m shoving him into or reading about. the thing that’s stuck with me however has always been facial scarring!! where he got it? who knows… i mentioned it on my headcanons post, but the cause is just as changing as his appearance.

i like the thought of him being a little different looking: crooked teeth, pockmarks, maybe a harelip or a broken nose, burn scars, something. maybe his hair is so light it simply looks as if he doesn’t have eyebrows. maybe a combination of all of those things! the less conventionally attractive the better, it’s not his face that had us scrambling from the rafters with our hearts in our hands, after all. though i am and always will be a glitched default face model König defender. it’s just so unbearably adorable to think of that soft, sad-eyed face making that much noise while he’s rushing around in battle. ):

and though i believe he would have the best intentions at heart… you are right, he is likely a very selfish lover. still hopelessly devoted and needy, but he would be the king of double standards. most decisions are made with his preferences in mind, and the bullying has stuck with him. König is insecure as hell when it comes to anything but his skills in killing or bashing through a door.

he likes the idea of you dressing up for him, but he’s also actively pulling up your dress/top to hide your cleavage if he even thinks another man may have glanced your way. yet… he will go to the gym shirtless, and if other women happen to ogle him, well it’s just fine because he didn’t notice them anyway.

you don’t like the house you’re living in when you move in together? well he does, you’re staying… he’ll just fix it up a little to better suit your needs. even if he screws up setting up a new counter or painting, that can all be fixed.

you want to go out with your friends? he should be allowed to come with you… spending time with you makes him happy. why wouldn’t you want him to come too? yet, when he wants time alone to focus on his aim, decompress with a book, or mess around with a vehicle or a house project, you’re expected to leave him be.

he’s too blunt about what he does for work, doesn’t bat an eye when he tells you he put a bullet through someone’s head and watched the spray. he’s so used to it, it doesn’t even faze him anymore, but… you don’t want to hear about it? oh that must mean you think he’s something filthy or worse. he’s not going to cry, but he might bring it up when you tell him about something you enjoy.

just ridiculous, petty things that would drive most up a wall, but he’s firm in whatever he decides. there’s always a little room for compromise, but not much without an argument.

he has his savings account and the house is in his name in case you decide to leave. it would gut him, of course, but a part of him also expects it.

he’s not above begging for you to stay, trying any way that he can to convince you, but… he’s never expected to have things handed to him easily. his childhood wasn’t the best, why would his adulthood be any better? the way he sees it is simple: he doesn’t hit you, his cock and heart are reserved solely for you, if you can’t love him enough to stay, then… maybe you’re not any different from the people he’s known before.

he’s self aware enough to know he can be a complete arschloch, thinks with his cock more than his brain, but he’s completely lost when it comes to matters like love. he wants to console you when you cry, when you’re angry, but asking you a dozen times just why you feel such a way while squishing you into a too-tight embrace doesn’t help much. his search history is filled with things like “why is my girlfriend mad at me” or “how to make a woman stop ignoring me”. his communication toward you isn’t great, but he tries in his own way. very easy to break an argument up when he tells you some silly, scripted thing like, “I’m here for you. I’m listening.” when under normal circumstances he’s staring at you with wide-eyes and swallowing hard the very second you seem a little ruffled. you tell him to stop reciting some guide he read online, and he’s immediately worried sick you’re going to think him a complete fool, in utter denial about ever having searched something like that up.

can’t see him as being god’s gift to women in the bedroom at all. König has probably watched a lot of porn. he doesn’t care for the scripted, practiced stuff, but his tastes have always been a little odd. the amateur, solo stuff is what piques his interest the most. he knows a vibrator can make a woman come, knows that a dildo can be nice too if she sets the pace. what he’s watched with a proper couple, well… the men are always smaller than him. the terms and dynamics are lost on him, he knows what a safe word is and that he should be a gentleman and make sure his partner finishes too, but each time that’s happened has been a miracle really. he’s not a virgin, but he’s never had a partner long enough to bother learning. if he can make you feel good and vice versa, that’s enough, right..?!

he’s not going to bludgeon you with his dick, he knows he’s a bit too big and thick to just fuck you recklessly, but often times he does get excited or fretful— too deep or too shallow, flicks your clit like it’s indestructible or keeps his head between your thighs waaay after you’ve already come. he’ll stop when you ask, when you’re teary eyed and overstimulated repeating the ridiculous German word he makes you use. not above begging you to use your hand on him instead, though…

switching positions is difficult if you’re a lot smaller than him. he’s not against having you on your knees, but he wants to be so close, pant into your ear about how good you feel, smother you with his weight all the while. missionary is a nightmare because he’s drooly and comes far too quickly when he can see your face and overpower you like this, cue further squishing even after he’s done; you’re likely going to be lying beneath him all night. cowgirl seems to work best, though he’s a bit too fond of having your tits so accessible - expect biting!!

when i try to think of König with any sort of hobby my mind just blanks. i think he would try a lot, but never stick to one thing! he’s got a few sporadic collections, but nothing he keeps up with to the same caliber as his guns and knives. books are often half-finished these days, keeping focused long enough to sit through a puzzle or the like is rare. definitely longs to have something for comfort that isn’t some winding trail to no where or suffocating you in himself to just have a hint of what it feels like to be entirely happy and ‘normal’.

he’s become a bit of an amalgamation of all of the things he liked as a child: knights with their swords he thinks of as his knives, deities with bolts of thunder cascading from their hands like the bullets from his guns, loves in the way he read men of myths fall in love - utterly unfathomably devoted but always the leader… if he could he would probably whisk himself and the object of his affection to another place entirely where he could be someone deserving: someone who’s loved despite the way that he looks or behaves, someone who’s never had to question what love was at all.

[critical-twenty]

I'm kinda new to the cr fandom so i only know c1 stuff... could you write something with the prompt "is it okay to hug you?" from the part 2 list! Maybe something with the party having a s/o who struggles with touch and being vulnerable who has been having a very stressful day? Cries easily when they are frustrated or upset? 😢 If thats too much maybe just something with Vax or Percy cause i love them the most. 💖

sorry this is so late! it’s been sitting in my notes for ages, i’ve just been too busy to post it!

S/O who struggles with touch has a stressful day!

Vax

Vax never really has an issue with the lack of touch in your relationship

Sure, he likes to hold your hand, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t want to

He’s able to fluster you with just his words anyway

But when you come home one day with tears in your eyes and tension in your back, Vax is unsure of what to do

His first instinct is to reach out to you. It’s what he does for Vex and the others, so why wouldn’t he?

He stops himself when he remembers how much you dislike being touched without express permission

Even when you start crying, Vax doesn’t want to make things worse, so he just stares at you as he tries to ask what’s wrong

You look up at him through tearful eyes and ask ‘Can I hug you?’

Vax is immediately scooping you into his arms, letting his warmth invade your senses and comfort you

He tentatively begins to rub a hand up and down your back, continuing when you don’t tell him to stop

He’s relieved, in all honesty. He’s relieved he can help you and he’s honored that you let him hug you in such a moment of need

When you finally calm down enough to talk, he draws away to give you some space

His fingers stay connected with yours though, as you won’t let him go

He smiles at this, before pressing a kiss to your head

‘I’m sorry you had such a hard day, sweetheart. I’ll be here as long as you need me to be’

And he is 🖤

Grog

It took Grog a while to understand your reluctance in touch

It wasn’t that he thought it was weird, he just couldn’t read the signals as to how uncomfortable you were with his physical affection and you didn’t want to say anything

Finally, though, you told him about how you weren’t the biggest fan of touching

He nods, but it doesn’t fully register

Still he tries his best to remember, but he forget sometimes

He apologizes when he forgets and you can’t really get mad at him when he’s so genuine

When you come back home from a really rough day, Grog can instantly tell that something is up

He’s not the smartest, but when it comes to your happiness, he’s learned to become more attentive

He also knows that you don’t always want to be touched when you’re like this

(Pike had reminded him enough that it stuck with him)

So he watches you until he really can’t stand the sight of it anymore

‘Can I hug you?’

You look up at him with tears ready to fall and nod

Grog gives the best comforting hugs. He’s gentle but firm and he won’t let go until you ask him to

He’s not perfect, but he’s trying

Percy

Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III was never a man who thrived in touch

He rarely initiated physical contact with you and whenever he did, he asked for your permission first

It was like he already knew about your dislike for touch without you even telling him

(He definitely did. He’s observant enough to see your subtle emotions and tells)

You were perfectly content with a dynamic mostly built on quality time and acts of service, rather than physical affection

This wasn’t always the case though

You had had a particularly hard day at work. There was so much to do and you felt like not enough time to do it all

So, when you walked into Percy’s Tinker Room, he instantly noticed your tense demeanor

He is the king of stress himself, he knows the signs

However he doesn’t know what to do. He knows that he likes to be alone when stressed, but by seeking him out you seem to want to be around him

He contemplates in his head for a moment as you tell him about your day, waiting for you to finish before he stands up and comes over to you

‘May I hug you, darling?’

You immediately look at him, before barreling into his arms

He’s quick to wrap them around you, pressing a light kiss to the crown of your head as he tries to ground you

He’ll hold you as long as you want. He’ll even offer cuddles

Needless to say, he’s done working for the day. You need him and that’s 10x more important than anything else

Scanlan

It took Scanlan awhile to adapt to your feelings on touch

He’s a naturally extroverted person and he’s usually the first to initiate physical contact with anyone, so it’s an adjustment for him

However, once he finds out that it’s even more fun to fluster you with his shitty pick-up lines and love songs, the physical touch thing becomes easier

He slips up every once in a while, but he tries to make it up to you (he is a secret romantic underneath that… sexual persona)

You go find him, sitting with his lute, after an awful day

You were tired, and stressed, and part of you just wanted to go to sleep and wake up when this project you were working on was over

Scanlan knew the minute you walked over to him that something was up

Not wanting to be obvious in his effort to comfort you, and not wanting to touch you when you were clearly already tense, he decided to do what he does best: talk

He began to make small talk, talking about his songs and his day and whatever was going on with his friends

He thought it was working, until you said his name and looked up at him with tired eyes

‘Can I have a hug?’

He was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting it, but he got over it quickly

He lightly wrapped himself around you, holding you close and just letting it be

It was rare that Scanlan was so silent but, for once, the only sound was breathing

It was a small moment, but it was more than enough for you

Keyleth

Keyleth was awkward at first

Not because she had a hard time without physical affection, but more because she didn’t know what to do in general

Romance was still foreign to her

Still, she read your body language with perfection

You didn’t even need to tell her that you didn’t like physical touch… she just knew

You were thankful for that

It had been a stressful day and you were really just looking forward to hanging out with Keyleth

Sitting in the forest and listening to her talk to the plants always calmed you down

But even as you sat there, the stress didn’t go away

Keyleth noticed immediately, of course

She’s not great at words but she is more than adept at movement

‘…Is it okay if I hug you?’

You looked up with wide eyes and Keyleth immediately backtracks

‘We don’t have to, of course! You just seemed a bit tense and I thought maybe a hug might help be we don’t have to do that if you don’t-‘

She’s cut off by your arms gently wrapping around her waist

She freezes for a moment, before embracing you

It’s warm and comforting and Keyleth suddenly understands why people like doing this so much

She’ll hold you as long as you need. After all, she’s enjoying herself just as much as you are

Vex

Vex’ahlia is the queen of subtle touches

She loved resting a hand on the shoulders of her friends, or bumping into them playfully as they walked

It took a bit of self-control to not do those things with you

It wasn’t hard, per say. It just required a bit more focus and awareness of her movements

But, Vex would do anything for you, so she learned (quickly, as expected)

It was after a fight, while everyone was setting up camp, that Vex noticed the look on your face

It was the same look she saw when you were stuck on a particular puzzle, or when everything seemed to be piling on your shoulders

‘My dear, are you alright?’

You shrug half heartedly

‘Would you like to accompany Trinket and I on a walk? I think it will be quite relaxing and the moon is especially gorgeous tonight.’

Vex waits for your reply when finally you look up

‘Vex, will you hold me?’

Vex doesn’t even falter

Sure, she’s surprised, but the urge to comfort you overrides everything else

She hold you as close as she can without it being uncomfortable, rubbing circles on your back and whispering sweet encouragements into your ear

When you part, she tells you to take your time joining the rest of the party, before turning around and giving hushed threats to anyone who dares make a comment

You hear them, but it’s endearing. It shows that she care.

Pike

Pike is a very affectionate person

Not in the same flirty way as Vax or Scanlan, nor in the subtle way as Vex

Pike was just a very loving woman. Physical affection (including hugs) were just commonplace to her

Which is why she was a little stunned when you told her that you weren’t too fond of physical touch

It was hard for her, at first, because she had to find new ways to express all the love that she had for you, but your comfort came before everything

She always asked before initiating anything and you were always so thankful for that

One day, you came back to find Pike kneeling in the garden, mumbling under her breath

You assumed she was praying (for what, you weren’t sure) but you really needed her

Today had been hell and Pike had always known how to make you feel better

Sitting behind her, you gently rested your head on her shoulder

She tensed, knowing it was you, but confused by the display of touch

Still, she didn’t saying anything

‘Pike…’

She knew with that one call of her name what you needed

‘Do you want me to hug you?’

A small nod was all it took for Pike to spin around and gather you in her arms

Her hugs were like sunshine embodied

You felt all your stress and tension slip away as she held you close

Maybe she was a God herself, with the way she made you feel so safe in her embrace

[stardust-sunset]

You asked for Curtis bros and you shall receive 🤭

-Chronically bad vision. All of them. And I think it goes " Ignores it->Contacts-Glasses" in that order (Oldest to youngest)

-They all enjoy different types of art, and will support eachother constantly in the matter. I also believe it goes painting/sewing->doodling/drawing->Writing (same order)

-Ponyboy makes good money when he's older and is able to send Darry into a very early retirement 🥲

-Darry gets a father's day breakfast in bed every year. Even if he isn't their father, they want to appreciate him in some way+ also honor the tradition they had with their actual dad when he was alive.

-Whenever Darry shows up to parent/teacher meetings or just any school event he gets hit on by all the moms, and Ponyboy is absolutely MORTIFIED. Darry thinks it's funny and sometimes he plays into it a little. Just to irk pony more.

-Introvert(good with people)->Extrovert(Bad with people)->Ambivert. (same order)

-I like to think Soda introduced Dally to the gang, and that both Pony and Darry thought they were dating, and were like "It's alright if you...ya know. but..him?" Soda had to defend his life against these allegations but everyone ended up liking salt a whole lot anyway.

-The Curtis Brothers have "family meetings" where it's just the three of them sitting around a table and complaining about each other for like twenty minutes straight 😭 sometimes other members of gang will be there and when they try to speak during the meeting, all three of the brothers will turn on them.

-Soda spent two whole days being consoled and comforted because he was crying over some dumb broad(it was Steve) and I think both Darry and Ponyboy knew this but to make Soda feel better they'd just stick with the lie.

-Darry can cook, and Ponyboy can bake and soda does a damn good job with the dishes so sometimes when they're all feeling up for it, meals are heavenly. Dinner, then dessert, then a movie.

-They're all super competitive, so everything's a competition. Who can brush their teeth the fastest, who can finish their meals faster, who can get to the car first.

-Ponyboy loves books and reading, as we've come to learn, so his optimal gift for any holiday or event is just books. His Christmas list? Books he wants. He enjoys this because it's inexpensive, good entertainment, easily attainable, and something he actually enjoys.

-When soda and Darry were little(Pony was just a baby) they would blame everything on pony 😭 stuff on the wall? How'd pony get a marker? A mess in the kitchen? Who left pony alone? This backfired once pony was old enough to speak and started rating them out for every conceivable thing they could do, even when they werent doing anything wrong. "Mama, Darry got himself a glass of water." "Mama, Sodas coloring. What? No not on the wall. Just in his notebook but,"

-Never Cries->Cries over everything->Cries when it matters(Same order)

-If Darry comes home after a hard day and Pony and Soda knew it was a hard day, sometimes there will be a bath drawn and a nice clean house and a half-decent dinner on the table. They really care about him but it's so hard to show it.

-Thats all. Have a nice day :')

(nearly accidentally posted this w/out anything attached NO)

but OHHH YES-i ate this upppp thank you!

the three definitely make everything a competition, they totally do. they’re just boys lmao also pony with glasses UGHHHH I NEED TO DRAW ITTT-y’all need to stop diving me art ideas (don’t it’s actually really fun and keeps art block away-but also i love how the fandom just agrees soda is a huge crybaby-them blaming everything on baby pony is so real, pony doesn’t even know how to write and soda has clear ink on his hands from drawing on the walls and all fingers go to pony who’s probably sitting there drooling on himself because he’s 1 😭 also the moms fully being 20-30+ his. senior is so funny to me because they’ll ask for his age and he’s like ‘i’m 20’ and they’re like 😨”-also them being artsy AHH-you’re gonna make me fall more in love with those dumbasses

these are incredible in my gosh-thank youuuu!! if anyone else has any hcs they wanna share my inbox is WIDE open!

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina, this is probably a weird question to ask; when I followed you 3 years ago, I had obsession with your mp fics and would open a lot of them and read your pov about the fics. In one of them you said something like "you cried a bucket full of tears when reading it" , and I can't even remember which category it was in , Do you remember which one it is or which fics made you cry?

Oh, I’ve been meaning to make one of these fic rec lists. Be forewarned, I cry very, very easily so it’s going to be a very long list (and some people might roll their eyes at what’s made me cry) 😂 Even as long as this is, I’m sure I’ve forgotten some.

Gold-skinned, eager baby by StarryDay13 / @daydreaming-sunflower (E, 17K) This was soft and tender and sexy and beautifully done. There were wonderful moments of gentleness and vulnerability as Harry awkwardly expresses his thoughts about his gender and his feelings for Louis, and as Louis reasons and holds space for who Harry is. I really just loved this one. And I cried. So that’s a bonus. 😆

Deux Fantômes by ohpleaselarry (E, 16K) So, let me start by saying I cried through ¾ of this. I promise it’s a happy ending, but it’s heavy and very moving. Please read the tags as there are some triggering things, but it’s also so sweet and gentle and really well written.

of the divine by @thedevilinmybrain (Mixed ratings, 2-part series, 104K) Oh my god. This series. I cried buckets. It’s so beautifully written. The sex scenes are so tender and sexy, but in such a pure way. Their relationship is so good… you can totally feel how much they love each other, the climactic scene OH MY GOD so intense. It’s also got great zouis friendship and a very sweet narry friendship. Tender punk Louis and guardian angel Harry. Read it.

The bed and the carpet by orphan_account (E, 8K) So, this was written a while ago, and because of that there are some things which... irk me (like the use of “orbs”). But it’s really gentle and sweet and sexy. Thanks to the anon who told me they cried reading it. I did, too.

Lovely, made from love by userkant (T, 1K) This was so lovely and so moving (yes, I cried). This author wrote so much emotion into this short fic, please give it a read. I loved it.

may we all have a vision now and then by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (M, 4K) This author is one of my favorite writers in this fandom and everything they do is infused with so much delicacy and tenderness. I literally cried through this fic because of how wounded Harry’s character feels. Read it and then treat yourself to their whole AO3 catalogue.

every universe but ours by @28finelines (E, 50K) This fic is so touching and funny and sexy and I read it all in one go––thankfully just before I published this post! Please go read it because it’s like reading multiple Larry fics in one, each one with that “I would find you in any lifetime” vibe.

Fading by tothemoonmydear (M, 202K) Let me start by asking you to please tread carefully with this one. It’s a very well-written fic, but it deals very graphically with Louis’ character’s eating disorder. At the time it was written, some people felt it did not portray ED recovery accurately, so if the subject is at all triggering for you, please don’t read this one. If that’s not an issue for you, make sure you have tissues ready because I ugly cried through almost all of this. I read it years ago and loved it at the time, but it’s not one I could handle reading twice.

wake the morn and greet the dawn (with hearts entwined and free) by mixedfandomfics (T, 21K)I cried the first third of the way through this because this author painted such a beautiful picture of Harry’s emotions, his found family, and the setting. I love how they slowly unraveled Louis’ story and the tender, sweet way they ended up together. And Niall!! The best friend/brother you could ask for.

Love you in the dark by Perzikje (E, 10K) This is such a tender and moving portrait of these characters. This author does a great job at capturing Harry’s struggle with the shame he feels (yes, I cried), and then beautifully portrays the balm of the way Louis loves him.

for as long as I can remember (it’s always been december) by green_feelings / @greenfeelings (E, 128K) This author always delivers on the angst, so yes…I cried. I loved the sense of the inevitable with these two characters — as in real life, they’re just meant to be. But first they’ll go through hell.

an entire desert in our hourglass by tofiveohfive (E, 20K) I told the author yesterday that I really appreciated the pain they wove into this story because they did such a good job making the emotions relatable –– even with a pre-apocalyptic setting –– so the feeling cut even deeper. Such a good read. And even though the tags said there was a happy ending (which there is), I still cried buckets.

haunted by the ghost of you by missandrogyny (E, 49K) Sweet and funny, filled with great banter and OT5 friendship. And yes…I cried. A lot.

deleted your number (so i can’t call you) by tofiveohfive / @sunflowrsix I think this author does such a great job with writing realistically about breakups and the emotions that are involved. Things aren’t just suddenly solved -- there’s still anger and hurt and a realization that better communication is needed. It’s just very refreshing to read. And of course, I cried.

the best part of me (was always you) by @moonshinelouis-archive (E, 6K) Gorgeous writing. The descriptions of heartbreak and missing someone and still loving them were really well done. And I cried. Of course.

everything suspended by louisandthealien (M, 9K) Set in the late 1990s/early 2000s, this fic is SO so good. And it’s so angsty and so incredibly well written. I felt every bit of tension and emotion and was so wrung out by the end. But it’s also such a gorgeously crafted fic. I just love it.

hope you guessed my name by juliusschmidt (E, 9K) Harry is a devil, Louis is human. I don’t know what it is about this fic, but I just adore it. It’s so moving and so beautifully written and yes, I cried over Harry being a lonely cryptid.

Through Eerie Chaos by mediawhore / @mediawhorefics (GA, 102K) This one is set both in present day and the 1920s and I absolutely adore this fic. This is such a unique and compelling story, the writing is beautiful, the characters are wonderfully realized, and I ugly cried for realz. Such a good fic.

Save your loving arms for a rainy day by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite (E, 19K) Oh, I really loved this. Beautiful writing. Lovely characterizations. I love how harry makes Louis realize who he is/what he wants, but doesn’t “save” him. And yes, I cried…not from the angst this time, but from the declarations and descriptions of feelings. This author just gets it right.

the impossible now by stylinsoncity (M, 65K) I screamed about this fic for weeks when it was first posted because it’s just so moving and so beautifully written. It’s got a twist to it that makes it both wonderful romantic and heartbreaking at the same time. Happy ending, I promise, but I cried. A lot. Shocker, I know.

Little Technicolor Things by scary_crow (M, 72K) This is truly one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I have ever read and it is an absolutely travesty that it’s not being talked about every day. This fic is gorgeous and poetic and romantic and heartbreaking and an explosion of metaphoric images and everything I never knew I needed but now that I have it I want to read it over and over and over.

Finding Lou by stylinsoncity (M, 60K) This author’s writing is always such a pleasure to read -- they really know how to craft a moving story. Slow burn romance with some super sexy smut and lots of emotions. Yes, I cried.

Your Name Is Tattooed On My Heart by mcpofife (E, 87K) I reread this one recently and it's truly delightful. The characterizations are so well done. Harry is so endearing (I cried over his heartbreak). And the smut is both hot and really emotional. Love this one.

Love Is A Rebellious Bird by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (E, 135K) Everything about this fic is glorious. I’m always struck by how well the characters are fleshed out, how their behavior lines up with their backstory, how ridiculously hot the chemistry is, and how agonizing the angst is. So yes, no shocker, I cried buckets. Thank god for a happy ending.

Empty Skies by green_feelings / @greenfeelings (E, 13K) I just started re-reading this the other day and it holds up so well. This author is always a pleasure to read. Their fics just are well plotted and the characters are nicely fleshed out. I loved Perrie as Harry’s bestie, the bitterness and angst is PAINFUL, and the ending feels well earned.

my heart is breathing for this moment in time by usedtothebeach (E, 160K) Probably my absolute favorite time travel fic. I’ve read it more times than I’d like to admit, and every time I love it more. One of the things I like most is how organically the author weaves in canon events…every little moment is an easter egg without it being so obvious that it pulls you out of the fic. Anyway, this one is so moving and so absorbing, I hope you like it if you give it a try! There’s an 18K companion piece to it as well, but you’ll see the link at the appropriate time when you’re reading the main fic (and when you read the scene that breaks your heart –– in the best possible way –– come and scream at me. You’ll know which one I mean).

no one does it better by nodibs (E, 50K) Oh lord. Get your tissues and hang on tight. Such well-written heartbreak. Happy ending, but you have to suffer first.

like a bastard on the burning sea by vashtaneradas (NR, 21K) Heartbreaking, perfect writing. So well-written that the fandom hated real-life Harry for a while after this was posted.

Also, you might want to check out my recs for:

Sad/Open Endings

Major Character Death

Angst

[asteria7fics]

I’m feeling uncharacteristically sentimental right now, so I’m gonna capitalize on it and make my personal RANT girl appreciation post! (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)

As I’m sure many of you have seen, I’ve found myself with the incredible fortune of befriending three of the coolest girlies that allow me to be utterly INSANE in chat. They are THE hype masters, and honestly I don’t think I would have even considered posting RSB had they not all boosted my confidence with their encouragement.

If you’re somehow unaware of my wonderful RANT Park girlies, then let me introduce you while I muse about how talented and wonderful they all are!!!

@1moreoffkeyanthem

Riley, the first letter and for me, the person that started it all. I don’t think I would have ever met the other girls had she not been so lovely in the comments of TSOB in its earliest chapters. Just knowing that someone out there was finding something to enjoy in my silly, self-indulgent fic really kept me going, both with continuing to post TSOB and during the drafting process of EWILY.

There’s a reason I’m constantly screaming at you guys to read Riley’s work. Every fic hits. Every. Single. One, and the queen has MANY to choose from. I have yet to find a PCE fic that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. Between the beautiful prose, the perfect character dynamics and the level of creativity required to not only create deeply engrossing AUs, but to make so many of them bite-sized and easily digestible. I frequently marvel at her ability to pull me into her worlds in just a few sentences, every single time.

Don’t even get me started on the quality of whump. I’m not even a whump girl, or at least I never thought I was but man, I really am not joking when I say I think I’ve been converted. Riley helped me see the light you guys, and she can help you see it, too.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it a million times more. IF YOU AREN’T READING PCE WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING???

And you can read Riley’s work right here!

@alwaysinstyle

Ana, the sickfic queen herself. Walking hand in hand through the hurt/comfort tag with Riley and absolutely carrying the fandom on their backs while they do it. The day Ana joined Tumblr was the day everything truly came together, and we literally would not shut up about missing her for the week that she was away from us!!!

Though I’ve only been able to scratch the surface of Ana’s writing, I am already consistently blown away by her works. She may very well be the smartest person I have ever met, and my god does she bring that incredible intelligence to everything she writes. Always the perfect word, always the most beautiful flow and poignant moments that have made me frequently and audibly gasp. I mean it when I say my greatest shame is that I hadn’t started reading her work sooner.

When I tell you guys that you need to bring tissues to the function when Ana is there, I MEAN IT!! Do not take this warning lightly!!! You WILL cry, and you’ll be better for it. The catharsis I feel after every chapter of Hourglass is simply unmatched.

Which you can read here, along with Ana’s other works, of which there are also a great many!

@boxwinebaddie

Nina, the baddest bitch on the block who has undoubtedly been subjected to the most insanity from me. I still laugh when I think about how wild it is that our first conversation was us bonding over fucking Saltburn, but I also fear it says a whole lot about why we get along so well. NASTY! GIRLS!!!

One does not simply read Nina’s work. Her works are an experience, the likes of which I don’t think this fandom has ever seen before, or may ever see again. I don’t believe anyone will ever be able to replicate the biting wit and emotionally devastating prose that she has given us, nor has any other fic made me cackle the way hers do. I’m serious you guys, she is HILARIOUS when she isn’t literally ripping my heart out with her dangerously powerful angst.

Despite being someone who loves the challenge of sticking as close to canon as possible, I am an absolute sucker for the ways that Nina pushes every single character in new and fascinating directions. Non-canon compliant done SO right, and I think that anyone that’s feeling worn down by derivative angst in the fandom needs to give her fics a shot.

I will die on Ravesey hill, and if you’d like to join me you can read Nina’s works here!

It sounds silly to say as someone who writes as a hobby, but I really don’t think I have the words to express my gratitude for these women. Their creativity, humor and unending resilience inspires me every fucking day, and I really don’t know how I managed to get THIS lucky.

Ladies, I love you endlessly. Thank you for accepting me as your Cartman-coded friend, for being my biggest cheerleaders, and for creating such incredible works for everyone to enjoy. This fandom, and my time within it, has been greatly improved by every single one of you ♡

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

Die From A Broken Heart

Fandom: Elvis Presley, American Musician

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Reader

Characters: Elvis Presley, Reader, Original Female Character

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1837

Summary: Was it ever really real, if he don't feel like I feel?

Tags/Warnings: Established Relationship, Break-ups, Crying, Angst, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Arguments, Fights, End of Relationship, Song Lyrics, Parallel Fic, Song Fic, Die From A Broken Heart // Maddie & Tae

Notes: This is directly linked to Tennessee Orange

ELVIS MASTERLIST // SONG LINK // HALLOWEEN MASTERLIST

‘Hello?’ my mother said, the sound of her voice causing comfort to shroud me, the way only a mother’s voice can.

‘Mama?’ I asked.

‘Oh hi darlin’,’ she said, her smile detectable through the phone, ‘to what do I owe this pleasure? I thought you said the next time you’d managed to get to call would be Sunday.’

‘Oh, yeah,’ I mumbled, feeling the comfort she had provided ebb as I suddenly remembered my reason for calling. When I remembered the wet black tracks of mascara that were still adorning my cheeks, the reason I needed comfort in the first place.

‘Everything okay honey?’ she asked no doubt concerned at my mumblings. Yet her concern didn’t do anything but turn the relief that flowed through my veins at her presence to sadness and embarrassment. I didn’t know why. After all, I had called her with the intention of telling her everything and yet now I was here I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to because whilst I was sure she’d be comforting there’d no doubt be an air of ‘I told you so’ coating whatever words she offered me and that was something I wasn’t sure I was ready to face just yet. So, I didn’t.

‘Fine,’ I sniffed, trying to push the remnants of tears back inside me, ‘actually, I just rang for some advice.’

‘Oh, well I can tell ya what I know. I don’t know if it’ll be much help mind. What is it baby?’ she chuckled. It was then I realised I didn’t know what I was going to ask her. It had been a deflecting technique, a stupid one. It was only when I clocked the dress I had been wearing last night crumpled on the floor I found the words coming out of my mouth as I said, ‘how do you get red wine out of a dress?’

‘Oh, uh well lotsa folks say putting white wine on it helps but I personally think that’s a loada hooey,’ she chuckled earning a meek laugh from myself in response, ‘but you’re probably better putting some white vinegar on it and then a little dish soap. Should bring it right out, well providing you ain’t let it stain, have you?’

‘Oh, uh yeah, I didn’t think about it,’ I mumbled.

‘Well it might not come out if it’s set but no harm in giving it a try. What dress is it?’ she asked.

‘That um, blue one that Elvis bought me,’ I replied feeling another wave of sadness grapple at me.

‘The one you wore when we went out to dinner the last time we came up?’ she asked earning a mumble of agreement from me, ‘oh that’s too bad I loved that one. Still, I’m sure he could buy you another.’

‘Maybe,’ I said.

‘How’d it happen anyway?’ she asked, ‘it wasn’t your wine I hope.’

‘Of course not,’ I lied, though she seemed to be able to read this one as there was suspicion in her tone as she said, ‘mm well, I should hope not.’

There was a pause, one that was only punctuated by a tiny sniffle though it seemed after our dance around the topic of underage drinking her mothering senses were heightened as she said, ‘are you okay?’

‘Fine,’ I lied again, hoping this one she wouldn’t be able to sniff out this lie as easily, ‘must be coming down with something.’

‘A hangover?’ she mused.

‘Mama,’ I warned making her chuckle.

Her laugh wrapped around me like a blanket, warming me from the outside in, and at that moment I remembered why I’d called. I’d called because I needed my mom. All the chastising and judgement aside I knew that there was only one person who’d make me feel a tiny bit less hopeless. No one here could do that mostly because it felt as though there was no hope in the entire situation yet her radiant laugh did. But it wasn’t enough, I needed more. I needed her to hug me and tell me everything was alright though that was hard to do given she was hundreds of miles away which is why I said, ‘can I ask you a question?’

‘More laundry dilemmas?’ she said.

‘No…can I come and stay with you…just for a few days,’ I said.

‘Of course you can. Any time you know that,’ she said taken aback by my request but I didn’t stop.

‘Good because I was thinking of coming this weekend or maybe next,’ I said.

‘That’s soon,’ she said.

‘Thought I could come any time?’ I challenged, hoping she wouldn’t make me wait.

‘Oh don’t be like you know your daddy and I love havin’ you any time I’m just sayin’ it’s a bit short notice that’s all!’ she sighed making me frown guiltily. I hadn’t meant to sound mean but the idea of the only ounce of comfort I’d been offered in the last few days being snatched away suddenly felt like too much to bear. My mother seemed to notice I was quiet and her voice dripped with concern as she said, ‘everything okay?’

‘Yeah,’ I said, trying to push the sadness from me. I should’ve just told her; I mean it was the reason I had called her in the first place and yet I couldn’t bring myself to because I didn’t want to face it. Not properly. I didn’t want her to pity me, to think me a fool who hadn’t seen this situation coming a mile off. After all, that was what mothers did right? Saw their daughter’s mistakes before they made them. She’d seen it coming off the bat and yet she’d allowed me to protest it was right for me in order to let me see for myself. 

‘Honey,’ she said, and that was all it took for me to crack, for the floodgates to open once more as fresh tears ran down my face, a sob escaping me.

‘Mom everything’s a wreck,’ I said, gasping for breath as I tried to keep my sobs at bay.

‘What happened?’ she asked.

‘Me and Elvis had a fight, a huge one,’ I cried, ‘I think it’s over.’

‘Oh honey,’ she said sympathetically.

‘Please don’t tell Daddy,’ I said quickly. If my embarrassment around my mother knowing the truth of how this entire thing had blown up in my face was bad my father knowing was a whole different ball game.

‘Darlin,’ she said.

‘Don’t! He’ll come barrelling down here with his gun I bet ya! Please don’t tell him,’ I begged. See that was the problem. Whilst both of them had seen it coming, able to see through the fairy tale of Elvis and I they’d both see it in different ways. Whilst my mother would think me foolish for not having heeded her words my father would see it as Elvis’ fault. The last thing I needed was my father putting a .45 in Elvis’ heart for breaking mine.

‘And when you come home cryin’ what do I tell him then huh?’ she asked. She had a point. When I dragged myself home all pathetic and mopey what was I supposed to say to my father then. It made another wave of sadness flow through me.

‘Oh mama I’m such an idiot!’ I said as the tears flowed down my face, dropping black marks onto the skirt of my dress no doubt ruining anther garment.

‘Oh you’re not an idiot,’ she sighed, ‘you’re young.’

‘And dumb,’ I added, ‘I just…I thought he loved me, the way I love him.’

‘Oh sweetheart,’ she said.

‘But how can he? I mean if he can just walk away after a fight like that, he can’t right?’

‘Maybe he just needs time to cool off. Heck this might be one of those things you two laugh about one day,’ she said and though I could tell she was putting in so much effort to make me feel better it failed to even help one iota. Because she hadn’t seen it.

She hadn’t seen how the boy I loved beyond anything, the boy I’d moved my entire life for, had forgotten about me. How he’d become taken with the appeals of fame, the fans, the money. She hadn’t seen how the boy who had once raced home to be with me now stayed out on the road. How he’d forget to call me and even when he did how those phone calls always felt as though he was dying to get away, sometimes to get to whoever was sitting on the other side of the line with him. She hadn’t seen how when I’d told him I missed him, how unhappy I was living in this big old house with just his parents for company he’d told me I was ungrateful. How we’d screamed at each other. How he’d told me to go because I obviously didn’t love him anymore. She hadn’t seen the way he’d climbed in his car for yet another tour without so much a backward glance at me. She hadn’t watched me rattle around his room for the last few days hoping he’d call, that we’d apologise and laugh like she’d mentioned, only to find that call wasn’t coming.

I’d thought he loved me and yet he was willing to walk away from it in one night.

‘You didn’t see the way he left here,’ I said, another sob escaping me, ‘I’ve been prayin’ he’d come back. Cryin’ so hard I thought I go blind…oh Mama I’m an idiot.’

‘My daughter is no idiot!’ my mother said firmly, ‘she’s a lovin’and kind girl who put her trust in someone and well…sometimes it doesn’t always go the way you think…but…’

‘But?’ I said with a sniffle tyring not to sound too hopeful about whatever she was going to say.

‘Look maybe you both just need a minute okay,’ she said, ‘how about you give him some time to cool off? You cool off here, let me and daddy take care of ya and then in a few days you can see how the land lies and well if it’s not meant to be it ain’t the end of the world. You can always come back home darlin’.’

‘Promise?’ I asked.

‘Promise,’ she said earning the smallest of smiles from my lips. I wasn’t one hundred per cent fixed. I knew that what me and Elvis were going through might not be salvageable and though I was sure my mother knew it too, and no doubt longed to tell me I was foolish for having hoped in the first place, she didn’t. She gave me the comfort I longed for, the comfort only a mama can bring. And though it wasn’t enough to fix everything it was enough to make me feel as though I might be able to get through this broken heart, even if I had to move home to do it.

I wanna kick myself for falling so hard

Mama, can you die from a broken heart?

ELVIS TAGS

@girlblogger2002 @sania562 @caitlin1996 @literally-just-elvis-fics @notstefaniepresley @artlesson8892 @18lkpeters @velvetelvis @jaqueline19997 @elvispresleyxoxo @amydarcimarie @presleyenterprise @everythingelvispresley @elvispresleywife @lillypink @richardslady121 @lettersfromvenus @louisejoy86 @ccab

[roosterbox]

hey! found your blog the other day and i love it<3

do you have any arthut/eames fic recommendations? i rewatched the movie a week ago and can't stop thinking about them

(sorry about the wait!)

First of all, hey there! Hello! Glad you found me, and glad to know you liked Inception. Hard to believe that it’s still drawing so many people in, 14 years on.

Second of all…

Oh baby. Oh man. Not just fic recs, but A/E fic recs? Yesssssssss my time has come.

First, there are a couple of writers whose entire oeuvre you should definitely check out if you haven’t.

Lolahardy, whose Dreamhusbands work is vast and varied, but here are a few of my own favorites (important note: no links because Lola’s fics are currently locked, but they are easily findable if you have an AO3 account, and you should definitely check out all of them, not just the few I mentioned here!):

In Every Universe - the fic that will never die, lol. So many great A/E stories here, but for me, the biggest draw are the other JGL/TH ships contained within. My personal favorite is Forrest/Evelyn, who I almost love even more than A/E at this point. Also, so many tropes and kinks and whatnot. Safe to say, I’m positive you’ll find a lot of different things to enjoy!

Le Mal Du Pays - this one is just lovely. I reread it again for this rec list and boy… still amazing. The chapters set during canon are so good, it’s like watching the movie again, but with the added bonus of actual A/E in the plot, you know?

Love is Strange - A/E by way of Dirty Dancing! I love it when you can enjoy an AU based on a very specific property even without having seen said property. For example, I adore everything about this fic even though I have never watched DD, not even once, lol.

OneWhoSitsWithTurtles, whose A/E work is never anything less than stellar and beautiful, and regularly makes me cry. Also, they have works in other fandoms that are equally worth checking out!

Christmas Without You (Is a Christmas Not Worth Having) - the best. The pinnacle. If ever you (or anyone else, for that matter) were curious about what my favorite A/E fic of all time is? Here’s your answer.

Dream of Me - This one is just beautiful. A simple little somewhat canon-compliant love story. So sugary sweet at times, it runs the risk of being tooth-rotting. But I’m always willing to take that risk.

39 Days to Fall in Love - the survivor AU you didn’t know you were missing. Seriously, it’s so good it might make you want to watch Survivor if you haven’t already, even if you know there’s no Arthur or Eames in it, lol.

Lullaby - Hands down, the saddest A/E fic I have ever read, and certainly in the running for saddest fic period. Seriously, it’s beautiful and worth reading but don’t go in without some tissues.

The Bumblebee and the Flower who Fell in Love - Also very sad, but so very whimsical and sweet besides. A/E works well in seemingly silly setups like this.

And now, for a few more individual recs. Mind you, a lot of my recs are a bit older - I really need to go back and peruse through the ship tag to find new stuff to bookmark - but hey, something something wine metaphors, lol.

End of the Road - this one is so cool. If you like Mad Max Fury Road and ever wondered what it would be like if you combined it with A/E (sort of) and some A/B/O Dynamics, you can’t do better than this.

Quiet Desperation - a lovely little A/E and 00q crossover story! I would read an entire series of this if it existed.

Next Big Thing - A/E as judges on a HGTV reality show. Classic! The exact kind of fairly low stakes drama I can get behind. No spoilers, but my favorite character is Misty Rainbow. For one scene in particular. If you read it, you’ll know exactly which one. Also I wish this show was real.

The Party - heavy subject matter in this one (heed the tags), but getting through the rough stuff makes the eventual fluffier bits almost extra sweet.

Out of Reach - a recent addition to my ranks, but absolutely beautiful. The emotions are so palpable and heartfelt.

And… would it be completely shameless if I included a couple of mine? I don’t like to toot my own horn too much, but since nobody else ever puts me on their reclists, why not, right?

Darling I’m Killed - my somewhat still ongoing Inception/Bond crossover. There are two sequels, and I have no concrete ideas for more yet, but there’s potential.

(I Would Like To) Paint the Way a Bird Sings - the Paint Shop AU that wouldn’t quit, lol. Still can’t believe I actually finished it. Four ships for the price of one in this fic!

Other inception fandom peeps, feel free to reblog and add any fics or authors you like! Especially more recent stuff because I am such a fandom oldtimer, lmao.

Thanks for the ask! I love recommending fics! Also thanks for the follow!

Happy reading!!

❤️

[fayestardust]

for bob tours: was there a moment (or more than one) at a place where you felt ~connected to a scene from bob/the real events?

All the tours I’ve been on have special moments, though some more than others. Thank you for asking me about this, as I love recounting these memories. Some of this is actually what you asked for; the rest is just me being sappy.

Okay, ready? Behind the read more because it's SUPER long.

Eindhoven tour, April 2022

This was the first WW2 tour I’ve ever been on and the first of We Happy Few 506’s Band of Brothers tours. Special for that reason alone. It was a one-day tour with a Q&A the day before, and only four out of six actors who were supposed to join actually made it over to Eindhoven. First up: Matthew Leitch (Floyd ‘Tab’ Talbert), our fierce leader on all of the tours so I won’t mention him every time. He co-founded WHF506. He’s kind of a very annoying older brother to me now. Also there were Tim Matthews (Alex Penkala), Doug Allen (Alton More) and Mark Lawrence (William H. Dukeman).

I enjoyed the Q&A, though at that point was far too insecure to ask anything about Band because the room was filled with much bigger WW2 nerds (at the time, I’ve now caught up) who all seemed to ask very profound questions. I also shied away from taking any photos with the actors because people pretty much swarmed them, and I’m slightly claustrophobic.

I was making art already at that point, and for this trip had managed to draw Matt and Mark. See here a moment of joy for me.

The next day was the day of the tour, and I was pretty nervous about it because I’d never done a bus tour before, but in my experience, buses aren’t particularly wheelchair-friendly. Such was the case here, too, but the moment I approached the daunting steps of the Megabus, guests (special and not) flocked over to help me up them. All doubt evaporated. I got appointed the spacious back-of-the-bus seat, with my cousin on one side and Mark Lawrence on the other.

I’ll single Mark out for this tour because our conversations on the bus were very real and important to me. But also because one of the most moving moments on the tour happened when we visited the Crossroads. This is where Mark’s character and the real Dukeman died. If you ever get to visit... the Crossroads in the show looks exactly like the real location. Easily one of the most true-to-life set locations. And Mark had never been to the Netherlands. It tore him up. We all sniffled, watching him cry. The thing you have to realise is that he feels like he owes his entire life to the show. He met his lovely wife because she saw him on tv, and they fell in love. He has Dukeman’s service number tattooed on his body. And he’s the kindest, sweetest soul.

Later, months after the tour, he called me up to sing me happy birthday at six in the morning.

Both Doug and Tim remain my friends to this day. I’m perhaps most grateful for the connections made on these tours. Some of the other guests are now also like family.

Bastogne tour - part 1, November 2022

Bastogne is a magical place for me. I took one of my geekiest friends on this second tour. Special guests were Freddie Joe Farnsworth (military advisor on both BoB and the Pacific) and Phil McKee (Strayer). Not the most well-known people in this fandom I think. But interesting. And funny. 

This tour was led by Reg Jans, and he’s THE guide who knows everything you could ever want to know about the Battle of the Bulge. So, during this tour, I feel like I learned a lot more about that, beyond what we see in Band.

Of course, we also visited Easy Company’s foxholes in the Bois Jacques. There was no snow (stay tuned for that on a later tour), so it’s not like it is in the show. But the woods are eerily quiet. I don’t know if I believe in anything supernatural beyond things like intuition, but if I were to start anywhere, it’d be there. Freddie Joe explained the consequences of sleep deprivation for your brain to us, to help us understand the soldiers better. Sometimes, they were their own worst enemies. They were freezing, underfed, underdressed and barraged by artillery, and most of the time, could not even see the Germans.

We also visited where John Julian was pinned down by Germans for hours. It’s still unclear what exactly happened to him, or when or how he died. We only see seconds of it in the show. It's like that with many things in the show actually. All the battles took a long, long time.

This tour isn’t my favourite - there’s a better one right after this, but this did solidify the idea that I would go on these tours just to see the people I’ve met while there. 

Bastogne tour - part 2, January 2023

Here it is, my favourite tour. Barely two months after the last one. Bastogne in the very dead of winter. Let me tell you: it was COLD. But it would have been, for the soldiers of Easy.

The special guests on the second day of the tour were Shane Taylor (Eugene ‘Doc’ Roe), and Lucie Jeanne (Renee Lemaire). Doug (Alton More) was also there, and it was lovely to see him again. But as you can guess, having Doc Roe and Renee on the tour in Bastogne is pretty amazing. Eugene and Renee never actually met each other, one of the few dramatisations of the show. It serves a purpose, though, so it’s mostly seen as acceptable. Renee’s story is quite tragic, and she died very close to where she had lived with her parents and her body was wrapped in the fine silk of parachutes and brought back to them. 

There were also some good hugs at the 'Nuts' bar! But the absolutely most amazing part of the tour happened without them. Our second day started really, really early. We got up at 5 am, got on the bus, and drove to the Bois Jacques. It was still pitch black when we got out, freezing cold and fresh snow crunched underneath our sleepy feet. 

Reg Jans was on this tour again, and he had something truly haunting in store for us. We all stood in a circle around him with our (mostly just purchased for this trip) head torches on as he recited a prayer by Lt. Col. Robert L. Wolverton, commanding officer of 3rd battalion, 506th PIR. 

Here it is.

Men, I am not a religious man and I don't know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. And while we pray, let us get on our knees and not look down but up with faces raised to the sky so that we can see God and ask His blessing in what we are about to do: God almighty, in a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if You will, use us as Your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world. We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right. O Lord, protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead and with us now as we pray to you.

And into the woods, we went. You have to remember, there are no cars at this hour. It’s dark. It’s quiet. We were told to be quiet. We were told to sit in the foxholes in the snow. We switched off our lights. No one was shooting at us, but we felt, in part, what the men of Easy Company would have felt. And then we watched the sun come up. It’s the closest thing to a religious experience I’ve ever felt.

I met one of my favourite people in the world on this tour, too. He took these wonderful photos of me and inspired me to take up photography again, myself.

Normandy tour, June 2023

This tour was a bit of an odd one out. It felt chaotic because it was scheduled around D-Day, which made Normandy really poorly accessible. It’s so busy, so our tour was mostly improvised around areas with the least amount of traffic jams. 

It did have its moments, though. Normandy is a cool place. And we had the amazing Pete McCabe (Donald Hoobler) with us. 

The day before the tour, I actually got to meet three Normandy veterans. Humbling, to say the least. I also met several more Band actors (Peter Youngblood Hills, Alex Sagba-Brady, Christian Black, Nolan Hemmings) and Scott Gibson, who played Captain Haldane in the Pacific. We still keep in touch. Christian Black is now a Still Photographer, and mostly shoots Tom Cruise’s movie stills. He also took this photo of Nolan Hemmings, this painting of him and little old me. 

I was really glad to see many friends again. And I brought my own camera and took amazing pictures (teehee). We saw most of Easy’s known landing spots in Sainte Mère Eglise, like Winters’ and Lipton’s, to name a few.  

Our guide here was Paul ‘Woody’ Woodadge, an English guy married to a French woman. He’s nice, but critical of Easy’s fame, not so much on account of Easy, but mostly because Easy was just one of the many companies that did incredible things. We visited the area around Brécourt Manor, where we learned that other company Paratroopers cleared the way for Easy’s famous mission.  It doesn’t make it less impressive, but it adds loads of context.

Another thing that I found incredibly moving was the reading of Lt. Meehan’s last letter home. It’s easy to forget how young these men were. And how wise. Meehan’s plane crashed in a field, and nearly 80 years later, you can still see where it landed because while the field is fully planted, there’s a part near a hedgerow that remains barren to this day. Haunting. 

We also visited Marmion Farm, where many famous Easy Company photos were taken (it’s where they more or less come back together after the jump).

One of my favourite stories, though, is that of medics Robert Wright and Ken Moore of the 101st Airborne. They treated 80 injured American and German soldiers and a child in a church in Angoville-au-Plain. There are still bloodstains on the pews. 

So, as you can tell, not everything had to do with Easy, because we also went to Omaha Beach, where I got out of my chair and walked. Just to walk where these brave men had walked and really feel the history.

Eindhoven/Arnhem Market Garden Tour, October 2023

My second favourite tour after Bastogne in winter. Our guest here was Mark Huberman (Lester Hashey) who was meant to come on the original Eindhoven tour but couldn’t. He’s delightfully Irish, and had the best anecdotes from the set. Also absolutely hilarious.

Many of my friends weren’t on this tour, so going on to it, I couldn’t have guessed it would rank among my favourites.

It was split between two things. Some Easy Company sites and stories (some repeats from the first tour, but often with a slightly different angle or experience), and the British side of Operation Market Garden!

By the way, did you know that Hoobler picks up the Luger that ends up killing him in Bastogne, at the Crossroads? I think they changed it in the show to let the story flow better.

Anyway. I loved this tour. We visited Schoonderlogt and the Crossroads again. This time I sat in the grassy field while everyone else did the famous run across. It’s such a long way!

But the stories of the British troops were perhaps even cooler to me. Because that all happened right on my doorstep. I knew the bigger picture, but we had Reg Jans on this tour again, which is synonymous with really personal stories. So for our British troops day, we followed in the footsteps of leaders and soldiers alike, until we met them again in their final resting place in the military cemetery. A really rewarding journey. Mark also read a letter by Ivar Rowberry, which I posted about here. There’s an audio recording of it too, which is well worth a listen. 

If you want to read more about any of these tours (I’m a bit tired of writing so much, check out my actual - non tumblr - blog over here. There is an entry for each one, there.

[strawberrymilkster]

Energy in DmC: Devil May Cry

So I previously made a post about weapons in DmC (and it was supposed to include a section about energy) but… I accidentally posted before it was finished?

So, I don’t use tumblr very much (I had it uninstalled for a while), and I don’t know very well how to navigate it. Anyway, I wanted to talk about the weapons and energy because I feel like they are overlooked a lot even within the reboot fandom.

I was gonna type a huge thing out in the DmC Brotherhood Server, but I figured I wanted something that could be “linked” so I could use it in different occasions/ chats. So I redownloaded tumblr to make that

I typed as far as I got in the last post then accidentally hit “post” and immediately tried to delete the posting process and bring it up as a draft. But, I’d thought I’d lost it? So I just gave up, uninstalled tumblr, and went off in the discord.

Then, a couple days later, someone was like “hey did you write that post on tumblr?”

And I was like “bro, that posted??”

Anyway, thanks to everyone who read that. Here is the second part before I inevitably delete tumblr again and disappear into the void.

(I don’t know how to like the comments, but I appreciated the nice comments.)

So, the way energy works in DmC: Devil May Cry is… somewhat akin to Bleach (the anime/ manga) but obviously there are significant differences. Not to mention the hollows, which are based on the same poem as Bleach’s were, apparently.

One could also easily see comparisons into that of the Metaverse from Persona 5 (Palaces and distorted desires/ perceptions)

A lot of people don’t really… understand how “energy” or “power” works in DmC. Especially in regards to Lilith and her death. (That entire scene is consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented to begin with, but we should stay focused.)

There is the human world. And then there is an angel realm and a demon realm. The angel and demon realm seem to be at some kind of consistent war. I’m not entirely sure how that works? Their planes may be on a more even level with that of the human realm. So humans aren’t really perceptive of the angelic/ demon realm, but the angels and demons can perceive and interact with eachother. (Perhaps they in spirit are very akin to eachother, somewhat like how Nero and Mundus in the original series are almost angelic in nature. That might explain more how Angelic and Demonic weapons work in limbo.)

If there were ever a sequel to DmC, I’d hope they could shed some more light on the angels perspective and world.

So- humanity cannot directly interact with the demons, but a sort of “in between” plane of existence has been discovered by Mundus and the demons (Limbo), and they use this to extract humanities power through indirect means. This being through propaganda, poisoned Mountain Dew, and directly possessing the humans.

Vergil describes “demon collaborators” or seemingly humans working alongside demon kind consentingly or not so much. We see them in the opening cutscene, pointing at Dante, as he tries to ignore them. But, they are actively dragging him into limbo and calling demonic attention to him. They also appear when Dante and Vergil are discussing the “Nephilim.”

So, the demons cannot really directly do anything to humanity, but from limbo, they can have underlying manipulation and control.

The especially powerful demons can take “human bodies” that can have a real presence in the human world and have more of a foot in humanities door. But, this comes at a great price. We see three powerful demons do this. Bob Barbas, Lilith, and Mundus.

In DmC, the demons have a sort of “atmospherics energy that plays into their designs and powers. The respective demon will be stronger so long as they are in their “palace” though they are still susceptible to death so long as their “human body” is killed.

Bob Barbas

Bob Barbas controls the “digital media.” He has a direct link to the many cameras scattered throughout the city, he loosely reigns over the city’s prison system, and his human form has a political and social death grip on humanity.

This is expressed in the art direction, in that Bob is a floating digital whirlpool of screens that shoots lasers at you. He doesn’t fight you directly. He conceals his human body, and fights you as a digital image. With the “eye” or that which monitors the people, being his weakness. And when you traverse into his “eye” you physically go into live news footage. He’s digital, indirect, and he’s hiding his weakness from you. Not to mention, he’s in a surveillance tower. But with a couple bullets to his “human body” he’s easily disposed of.

Digital media and surveillance is Bobs “domain”

Lilith

Lilith’s big thing in this plot is that she is intentionally written as one of Mundus’ “whores.” Which may seem cruel, but the point is that Mundus doesn’t care about her (in contrast to how Dante values Kat- and Vergil more values what Kat offers. Foreshadowing that Vergil shares certain traits with Mundus that are destructive.)

Anyway, the demon king values Lilith’s “service” through their child more than her. So, you fight the spawn instead of her directly.

Lilith’s speciality aside from being the spawns mother, is clubbing and narcotics. She, akin to the succubus, uses substances to control humanity, primarily various drugs of sorts that she encourages humans to consume at her club. And her Club is her “palace” where reality is blurred the most, humans are most susceptible, and she is the most powerful/ safe.

The club twists and contorts to her will, but she is a coward, who primarily is valued (and seems to value most herself) by Mundus’ spawn. So, she hides herself… within her monstrous child. A reverse narrative on birth, and a mother’s protection. Lilith is vile and would rather put her child on the front lines to protect herself.

Anyway, so Dante can slap Lilith around mid fight. And I think that’s more of a “gameplay” quirk than anything. One of those things that can happen while the player is operating Dante, rather than being explicitly canon that Dante hits her 50 times with a demonic axe (in her human form) and she’s fine.

When Lilith, canonically, is brought away from her domain, the club, she is immensely weakened. And her body can be destroyed just like a normal humans. (It could in limbo as well, she just now doesn’t have the atmospheric power to protect herself) This is why Vergil can shoot her and kill her. She both made the decision to utilize a human body to begin with, and stepped away from her domain as a hostage.

Mundus

Then there is Mundus. We know that he is a lot like Bob and Lilith where if he steps away from the hell gate, he’s in danger. That serves as the source of his power, but overall, his domain is the city. One can be killed in their domain (ex- Bob) but it’s their body that needs to be killed and it’s more conveniently concealed in Limbo.

Despite the hell gate providing an extra layer of protection, the city overall is still his. And a large part of Limbos collective “hive mind” system comes back to him. He’s just always being particularly protective of his human body with the hellgate, though he’s arguably still unfathomably strong away from it- just more susceptible because of his human body.

The city being his domain is seen in that the final fight takes place on top of numerous sky scrapers, as buildings and people are being sucked into Mundus, almost like a vortex. The hellgates destruction serves to throw the balance of the planes out of wack. And Mundus’ city wide power utilizes that to his advantage, building an enormous shield of power with everything that surrounds him.

But, his human body is still just as susceptible as ever. And that’s how he’s killed.

Limbo and Nephilim

I meantioned Limbo being a hive mind, because it is. That’s why it can taunt Dante, and why even small demons can pull Dante in. It’s like a big spiritual consciousness that demons have respective control of depending on their power.

Bob - Digital Media

Lilith - the club

Mundus - the city

But, Nephilim can traverse these planes. Go in and out, and their “human” body is an appearance. They hold the same amount of susceptibility no matter where they are. And that’s very little to begin with, having regenerative powers and just being incredibly powerful overall.

So, Dante’s devil trigger is also a utilization of this. He is quite literally using the same kind of “spacial control” that the three demons use, but he can transport it anywhere. It’s more innate, as a traveler of worlds.

When he wishes, he can expend great force, creating a swirling whirlwind, obliterating gravity, and slowing time. He is bending energy to his will, but, it’s not tied to any respective place. It’s just something he carries with him at all times. DT is just taking full control of the spacial energy around Dante.

Vergil is a bit more… odd? He doesn’t utilize his spiritual energy the same way, he creates a doppleganger. Which is decently representative of the fact that he is “two faced” and doesn’t really have full comfort in himself. He’s all about “ideals” so it would make sense that his use of this energy is to “separate” himself in two. And how big of a plot point the hollows (or other selves) are to him. Not to mention my last point (in the weapons post) of Yamato being a “separator”

A really cool detail I noticed is that when the Nephilim fight in the final mission, it takes place over the whole city. There is an entire view of what the Nephilim fight to achieve. Vergil wants control of humanity, Dante wants absolute freedom. And so their fight is on high ground overlooking the very thing they are fighting over and have created.

Throughout this fight, the sun shines a bright red. But is slowly engulfed by dark, blue storm clouds, the more they fight. And when Vergil unleashes his true power, the ground is struck everywhere by blue lightning, and the red sun is nearly overwhelmed. The lightning storm also appears when Vergil fights his hollow self. Reboot Vergil is quite literally the storm that is approaching.

This is both excellent visual representation (per usual) on Ninja Theories part, but also quite literally the sheer atmospheric power of the Nephilim. When they fight, the world quakes and the weather bends to their wills. It’s so cool.

There’s probably more but I’m gonna conclude here thanks for reading.

[biscuitbakerbecca]

Zoe Murphy for the character ask

Favorite Thing About Them

I appreciate that she is a very resentful character. Zoe not wanting to view Connor as a good person because she was wronged feels so cool to me. She isn’t wrong, Connor likely abused her and she shouldn’t have to miss him because of societal expectations. Love her. Best girl.

Least Favorite Thing About Them

I think Zoe (especially in fannon) is played a bit too dumb. Given her reactions to Evan in early act one I don’t think she would ever actually fall for Evan. I really don’t like the you made my brother a good person now kiss me thing she has going on. I feel like she wouldn’t do that if she was a real person. I know she’s like 16 but…she clearly didn’t like Evan up until the end of YWBF. She rejected him after IICTH, she didn’t sing in Disappear, and I know she’s supposed to have her moment of acceptance that Connor “was a good person” in YWBF but it feels kind of forced. She’s smarter than to believe the lies imo and the fandom really ran with the idea of her being easily manipulated for quite a while

Favorite Line

Why did you want to meet here?

I wanted to be sure you saw this.

FUCKING RIP MY HEART OUT WHY DONT YOU?!?!

OR OR OR EVEN MORE SAD

But you told me that he…that you would talk about me and that he would… How could you do this? *runs away to cry*

BROTP

Zoe and Jared being friends is top tier, I love writing their dynamic!

A snippet of my own writing for explanation, excuse the horrid grammar it was 2020/2021:

Zoe apparently decided to copy her brother, as she's in a black dress and heels.

"Woah, who died?" Jared asked, trying to repress a smile as Evan locks their elbows.

Zoe sighed, "Our great uncle. We are leaving after second hour to go to his wake."

"Oh, so that's why Connor didn't dress like a complete dumpster fire," Jared hummed, watching said teen walk over. His tie doesn't match what he's wearing but whatever.

—I don’t know what I want, but I need you. Chapter 5

They call each other insults and they stay out late to gossip. Bad bitches supporting bad bitches. They fight like scorned lovers but they defend each other to the highest degree. Chaos gremlins.

OTP

Alana/Zoe— I know I know I’m basic but it’s the only sapphic pairing I can make in canon

If we extend the boarder to other musicals I’m a slut for Zoe Murphy/Brooke Lohst. They’re both betrayed by their love interest, they’re meant to be. In 2020 I started writing a comic where they would meet post BMC and DEH (Up to Words Fail) and become best friends and then fall in love. I wrote four pages and lost energy

NOTP

Obviously nothing gross, but logical pairings that give me the ick are Zoe/Jared. They are Friend Zoned so hard. (mostly because Jared is gay in all my writings of him) Also BandTrees can sometimes rub me the wrong way but as the show is I’m cool with them for the most part

Random Headcannon

Zoe has red hair is a common one but goddamn do I like the idea of her trying to separate from her rich parents by looking different.

Also bisexual with a preference for girls

Also drummer Murphy Kids

Also Murphy Twin Truther (Connor got bumped up a grade because he’s good at school when he is there)

Unpopular Opinion

They shouldn’t have written out Zoe’s best friend character that was in the original draft of the show. Yes this is because the best friend was named Becca. But also Zoe needed a teen to bounce off of that wasn’t Evan because she never interacts with Alana or Jared. She’s isolated for the most part and would have been a stronger character if she had a friend in her corner. Her only “friend” we see in the show is her mom

(Friendly reminder that Zoe has a friend named Bea in the book (I think that’s the name it’s been a hot minute since I read the book—either way she has an actual friend with a name) and I hc them as enby)

Song I Associate With Them

I haven’t actively thought about Zoe in a hot minute hang on…

Okay I know she can already drive in all forms of canon media but drivers license feels like something she would listen to on loop after breaking up with Evan

I would say traitor instead of drivers license but Zoe knows that Evan didn’t originally have ill intent nor did he ever cheat on her so just a sad song to cry along to because she used to drive him around feels right.

(Book moment where she cried while sitting on/near her car. Movie moment where she nearly kills herself while driving)

Favorite Picture Of Them

We have options for this one (yes one is a gif but it gets the point across)

[coff-in]

I feel like whenever I’m having a bad day (or in this case, few months), I see other people have bad days too. It’s crazy how the world works and we all unite together to have either crappy or happy moments; it’s kind of wholesome that we all are brought together through our experiences and can share those vulnerabilities. It makes me feel a little better knowing I’m not isolated or alone, and that I’m not the only person with problems or struggling to get by.

I saw your last post, you said to ask about pressure, so I’m asking: How do you deal with pressure?

This is what I do when I feel stressed (maybe you’ll find some relief in this too): It’s a rule for me to always cry when something goes wrong, because crying released happy chemicals!

If I’m still bothered, I sleep for a few hours, take a Power Nap or just sleep and see if it still bothers me. If it still bothers me, I eat strawberry mochi. I also like coloring in those coloring books with flowers and a inspiring quote, it makes me feel better. When I’m sad, I always put on some Lo-fi or old love songs.

I always try reading Andrew Graves x reader content—or, at least what I haven’t seen. It’s a small fan base for separate Andrew Graves content. It’s how I discovered you a few months ago too! I enjoy looking for your work on my dashboard and I’m excited to see what you do next.

I hope thing’s get better for you, Coff-in! Never be ashamed or feel guilty about your own feelings or mental health. Don’t worry about time or rushing things, rushed work is never good work. Always remember to take breaks and worry about yourself; it’s your life after all. From one human being to another, take care of yourself. 💜⭐️

hi stellar :D when i asked ppl to send me questions about pressure, i meant the roblox game pressure ^^; this is ok tho!! no harm no fowl! (or is it foul? fowl is a bird, huh)

when i get stressed i usually get take a nap, maybe eat something, or watch youtube to distract myself. crying sounds really nice but i can't cry easily, sadly :( i also just try to draw! i like drawing and i find it easy to just pick up a pencil and doodle something :3 i also do it when i'm bored

its a tad bit hard for me to realize that "oh this blog is my blog, i can do with it what i want". or maybe i do realize that but still feel like i can't do certain things. hm. hm hm hm. so neat, such whimsy :3 i also relate to you seeking out andrew graves x reader content, but recently for me i've been searching out sebastian solace x reader fics. idk if people know this but im mostly a selfshipper, so seeing the whole zerum drama happen in that fandom is like... idk kinda silly to me. tldr: people were mad that the co-creator of the game (zerum) shipped her oc (zerum) with the shopkeeper sebastian. there's obviously more to it than that, but it reminded me when i was younger and i made a boyfriend oc for my persona (who i also sometimes wrote/referred to him as her brother... huh)

i'm going to be busy with work again, so hopefully i'll be able to write more since i usually start writing when i'm trying to avoid work or just to get away from it ^^; i hope that you're still doing well despite these hard months! i think it's a bit too easy for some to cur inward and isolate themselves from others. it was kinda nice being away from my coff-in blog. i do not say this as in 'i want to leave', but it was nice to just... idk feel like i didn't have to write? or take my time. i felt kinda bad tho, like there was a lingering thought in my head that i was deceiving you all. i was still able to write, so why wasn't i writing? stuff like that i guess

thank you for sending your ask, please take care of yourself!! <3

[corviids]

hi birdie! just saw your post about impostor syndrome hitting you and i just wanted to remind you what an excellent artist and writer you are. i know it's difficult to think so when impostor syndrome is at its highest, but i do hope this brings some comfort anyways! <3

as a writer, i cannot being to explain why your writings are out of this world, insane, crazy, wonderful. whatever emotion you try to go for, you achieve it in a way that it just clings to the reader's mind and carves a place in our bones. your dialogues, your world-building, the details, the characterisation, the sadness, the joy, the despair, the love, the yearning, the rage, the passion…. i've cried reading your writings, because they hit so hard in my heart that i just cannot stay quiet about it. and i have devoured your smut, and i have laughed with the lucemond kids' shenanigans. you have a way with words, you are so unique. i consume every single piece you publish, and i would consume any book of your own if you published, too. you were one of the first writers i read and followed when i came to this fandom and i just hope i can keep supporting you in anything you do.

as an artist, your talent knows no limits. that magic you have putting emotions into words, well, you also have it when you draw the faces of your characters. it's like looking at them in the eye, their smiles and the twitches and tilts you capture so well, and it feels like i'm looking at a real person with real emotions. i'm in love with your style, from the sketch to the colouring to the way i can see any of your art out of context and know it's yours. you have magic in your fingers, and daily dust in your soul and in your mind, and that's why every single piece you draw and you write is a treasure to be kept and protected, love and cherished.

personally, i know we haven't talked much, but you have been so kind to me. and i just love your sense of humor, your commitment, the way you treat with such respect and love your readers. how you give your heart to answer to our asks and questions just as you give it to create content.

we're very lucky to have you in this fandom, a nd i will always be grateful for every single thing that you have given us that has made me fell even more in love with lucerys, with aemond, with lucemond. with this site and with the culture of fan creating and providing.

you're a star, and i just hope i can continue to see how much you achieve as time goes by! we have your back! you don't know how much your writings and your art mean to people, and i know because i'm one of those and i have friends with whom i talked about your creations! you made hundreds of people from different places in the world to fall in love with what you do! i would say that's such a pretty neat job! <3 <3 <3

hope you feel better soon! i'm here if you ever need to talk! sending you the biggest hug and the best of vibes!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

i’ve waited a couple days to answer this because i’m genuinely speechless. i don’t cry very easily for reasons but reading this, especially after such a hard day, made me tear up. there really aren’t words to convey how grateful i am for everyone here that has supported my works. lucemond and this little community we have built have really became a safe space for me to ramble and share my stuff without fear.

i’m eternally grateful for every single person that send me asks, comments, or just comes round to check my stuff out. this is one of, if not the kindest things i’ve ever received and i hope that i can continue to make y’all as happy as you all make me <333

[starboundanon]

Hello!!

I'll start by saying that I love your fics and really like your blog ♥️ I agree with great part of your takes, especially about how dark of a character Anakin/Vader truly is, despite the fandom woobifying him! I also apologize in advance by how big this ask is 😭

That said, there's something that always made me curious and I'm burning to ask... You've said in a previous post that you didn't like how easily Padmé forgave Anakin for everything he did in canon, that you thought it was psychotic. So what separates Padmé's unconditional forgiveness of Vader's crimes from Luke's equally unconditional forgiveness, for you? I mean, both characters were personally, terribly hurt by Vader. I admit that my knee-jerk reaction when I see people with a similar opinion is always "oh, it's sexism, because Padmé is a woman and Luke is a man, and compassion from a man is revolutionary while compassion from a woman makes her weak" 🙄 but you've always seemed so sensible and reasonable and that can't be the case with you. So I'm genuinely curious about your perspective! Especially because you ship Vaderluke like I do, and Luke and Vader's relationship under romantic lenses gets easier to compare with Anidala.

(Also this entire ask works under the assumption that you do appreciate Luke's forgiveness of Vader, despite knowing he was a terrible father in canon—a far cry from fanon's Dad Vader—and obviously didn't deserve it. I got the vibe from your fics and your posts that you do! But if you don't and you think RotJ shouldn't have ended like that, actually, then I understand that I clowned and you can just ignore this 🤡)

I agree with you that a lot of the heat Padmé gets in the Star Wars fandom (while Luke is canonized for essentially carrying her legacy and vindicating her beliefs) is the result of sexism. But in my own experience within this fandom, anon, I’ve seen sexism against her in the opposite way that you’ve described, and it was that sexism that I was reacting to in the ask you’re referring to here, and the reason why I unintentionally sounded so snarly.

Playing that ask game came on the heels of reading post after post after post praising Padmé for her unwavering faith and loyalty, for her selfless forgiveness, for her unconditional love for her husband. And while, yeah, sure, those things are technically all virtues, praising a woman for having those qualities in response to her mass murderer husband slaughtering hundreds of children REEKS of sexism and tone-deafness to me.

Because that really is the perfect woman, isn’t it? She’s loyal to you no matter what you do, you are the only thing she wants in the whole galaxy (despite being rich, with an important, full-time career, pregnant, or a fucking QUEEN). She will defend you after you’ve physically assaulted her and die believing you were a good man. She will forgive you, love you unconditionally, ignore every single one of your red flags and literally die of a broken heart if you betray her. A flawless, devoted woman!

…At least, at the time of answering that ask, that was the spiel I had gotten from a myriad of stanakins, and from George Lucas’ writing after watching AotC for the first time. I was reactive and unnecessarily vicious in that ask — and I apologize for being that way — because I don’t think Padmé’s unwavering dedication to Anakin is admirable, anon. I think it’s unhealthy. And I LOVE that it’s unhealthy — I’m a darkfic writer, I love unhealthy ships! — but I was just so sick and tired of people giving Padmé the Virgin Mary treatment when her relationship with Anakin was fucking UNHINGED.

Luke’s forgiveness of Vader has its own undertones of unhealthiness, but it also has things Padmé’s doesn’t. Even when Luke can feel Anakin’s conflicted feelings through their Force bond, he still has moments where he doubts there’s actually still good in his father, where he declares him dead like Obi-Wan did, when he lashes out and tries to KILL him for threatening Leia — Luke forgives Vader, yes, but at least we get to see him being ANGRY with him. We don’t get that with Padmé. Anakin confesses to murdering Tusken children and Padmé looks at him like THIS for fuck’s sake

The only reason we don’t get to see Padmé pick up a blaster and aim it at his grinning face on Mustafar IS sexism, imo. She’s eight months pregnant! Where’s the rage? Where’s the resentment? She has none, she isn’t allowed any! Why? We can debate it till we’re blue in the face, but I will always consider it a massive disservice to Padmé’s character that she was denied the humanity Luke was given in the OT, to the point that her and Anakin’s relationship came across as so ridiculously codependent it was almost silly.

[mania-sama]

Hello, just found your blog and I love your posts. Thanks for sharing them.

When I first saw your blog, I thought it will be about classical books like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, etc (sorry for my mistake). I'm new in anime/manga (about last 6 years), before that since my school days, I only read classical books.....So not young in age but young in fandom :D

Are those seven are your fav media : BSD, JJK, Genshin Impact, AFTG, Voltron, Demon Slayer, Haikyuu? Can I ask why you love them? What made them special for you?

P.s

Are you excited for the Haikyuu movie, new season of Demon Slayer, and new spin off for AFTG?

Thanks 🌻

Thank you for sending in another request!! I smiled wide when I saw that sunflower 🌻

I completely understand where you’re coming from. The A Tale of Two Cities is sure to through anyone off. Sorry!! I mainly use this blog to post my ramblings and creative projects that I can’t really put anywhere else, plus a few one shots. I might transfer more of my one-shots to here from Ao3, but I simply haven’t gotten around to it.

Love to hear that you love the classics, though!! I wish I had the patience to read more than I have already. I’m an extremely slow reader, so it makes it difficult to get through classics (even though I love them dearly). For anime/manga, I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan myself. Not that I don’t enjoy it, but I don’t go out of my way to read or watch something in that genre because it’s in that genre. I watch or read anything that may pique my interest, regardless of the format, be it on Youtube, Hulu, Crunchyroll, etc. I haven’t really even seen many animanga myself, to be honest.

I wouldn’t say the seven that you listed are my favorite media, they are just the ones that I have written fanfiction/analyses about and posted it on here. I use that list as a masterlist guide for people to find my meaningful posts easier! So, not my favorite, just whats available to peruse on my account. As for my actual favorite… it’s hard to say. I don’t think I have seven I can list off the top of my head, but I do have some favorites in general.

Interestingly, for most of my “favorites”, I have never written a fanfiction for, nor do I read many fanfics for (with the exception of a couple of favorites). I don’t know why this is. Maybe because I find the original story too good to be expanded upon? I can’t say for certain.

A Silent Voice is easily favorite movie. It’s also my favorite anime, if you don’t require the anime to be a series. I haven’t watched any movie better, animated or otherwise, and I’m not sure I ever will. The characters are all so beautifully human, who say and do the wrong things, who are awful to each other, but who also do kind things, who develop, who change, even as others stay the same. Not to mention that the animation itself is beautiful. I could go on and on about this movie; I cry every time I watch it. I’d say it’s my favorite piece of media in general. Everything else falls behind it. Nothing can top it (at least not yet). Fun fact, if you didn’t already know: the English voice actor for Shouko, the main female lead, is actually deaf. Wonderful voice casting as well, just to top things off.

Bungou Stray Dogs is my favorite manga as of right now. I love it for many of the same reasons I love A Silent Voice; the characters are horribly human and complex, despite their inhuman abilities. Each character is interesting and unique, and while I do have gripes with the main storytelling, Asagiri’s Bungou Stray Dogs: BEAST really makes up for it. All of the character designs are also very unique and thought-out. Each character and their design leaves me spiraling as I think and analyze. It really triggers the autism LMAO.

Child of Light is my favorite video game. While I do have the most hours logged into Genshin Impact (and it is a close second in terms of favorites), Child of Light is simply one of those games that I can never forget. I have a lot of good childhood memories tied with it. I also completed the entire thing in one sitting in about 10 hours, which is the first and probably last time I ever speed-run a video game (speed-run is used loosely here because I am not “speedy” in any sense of the word). Anyway, Child of Light is a very beautiful game both in visuals (with its watercolor game design) and music (one of the best soundtracks in any game, in my opinion). The language in the game is also very unique — every character speaks in a rhyming pattern, all except the Jester character, who you would THINK would speak in rhymes but fails miserably every time. Each character is as fantastical as the next, ranging from a water droplet to a mouse. I wish everyone would play this game, because it’s so fun and so beautiful.

The Grishaverse is my favorite book series, though there are multiple series within the universe. I just don’t have a favorite (definitely not the Grisha Trilogy though 😭). Although it’s been a while since I’ve read the books, I seriously couldn’t put them down when I was reading them. They are a perfect blend of fantasy and realism, with believable characters and powers. While the OG series is genuinely not good in my opinion, the Six of Crows and King of Scars Duologies are actual masterpieces. Six of Crows is full of action, intensity, and found family, while King of Scars balances it out with political intrigue. Very, very well written and well done book series in plot, character, and setting. The TV show is a crime against the books, honestly, but it’s okay, Just read the books, they are better.

Merlin is my favorite TV show. I actually really love watching medieval settings. Not as much reading (not that I don’t like them in books, I just don’t search them out for the purpose of being medieval), but I love to watch them. I like admiring the old settings, buildings, clothes, and lifestyles that are being presented. I also love Arthurian retellings, so Merlin kind of hits the spot. I don’t have as many good reasons for loving this series, I just do 😭. Best (b)romance of the century. I did cry at the end when I watched it. Also, thank you to the Merlin fandom for reaching me what a good fanfiction is supposed to look like.

That’s all I can think of. I don’t really have a favorite individual book, classic or otherwise. I think that’s kind of impossible for me. I’ve read many great series, and I assume I will read a great many more to come.

I’m not sure if I’ll watch the Haikyuu movie. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched the anime, but if I come across it and I can watch it for free, then I’d be down honestly. I have been keeping up with Demon Slayer, with plans to read the manga maybe, so I am pretty excited for the new season!! And don’t get me started on the new All for the Game book!! I need it in my hands right now.

Thank you so much for asking!! I love talking about my favorite medias lol

[missrosemaris-stuff]

So I’m currently working on a fanfic, right? Well it’s not entirely my first fanfic in the fandom. This is.

This is an untitled work I never finished, but it’s a traditionally, hand written fanfic idea I had (w/ illustrations). It was also a study of sorts on shadows and perspective. I’ve decided to type it out for easier reading.

The premise behind it was similar to the episode Hurt Bike, but a bit darker. Cricket would’ve had a nightmare relating to Nancy getting in a bike accident. The theme would’ve essentially been, “it’s okay to be afraid”.

So, I’ve decided to share it, since it was one of my first works in the fandom, and I never got around to finishing it. It’s a dead project, but I think it’s an alright one.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Admitting that you had a nightmare doesn’t make you weak,” Tilly whispered as she handed him a tissue, “actually, it makes you quite brave.”

“Really?” Cricket asked, tears threatening to spill from his tired eyes. He couldn’t shake the images from his head no matter how bad he wanted to.

“Really, brother. The mind can create things that are scarier than what we can imagine when we are awake. It’s normal to be scared, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of that.” She paused.

“Want to sleep in my bed? I don’t mind.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Papa?”

Bill’s head popped up in surprise before a smile painted his features, “Hi Till-,” his smile fell as soon as he saw her expression, “Hey, hey, hun, what’s wrong?”

She walked over and sat in the patch of grass beside their small garden. Phoenix waddled over and sat in her lap, her fur immediately falling on Tilly’s cotton, purple dress. Her tail wagged happily as Tilly stroked her soft fur.

“Well,” she said as her once normal, yet odd looking gaze morphed into one of concern, “I would prefer if you not tell Cricket I told you, but I understand if you must.” She was no longer looking at him in the eye, and he could tell she was stalling.

“Till, hun, you can tell me anything.” Bill smiled as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Well…”

She began fiddling with her hands, “Cricket had a nightmare last night, and I know that they’re normal and he normally recovers from them quite easily, but he was real shaken up, Papa. Like, ‘crying and asking to sleep in my bed’ shaken up.”

As she paused to collect her thoughts, she noticed the frown on her fathers face, concern leaking, no, flat-out flooding his features.

“And I know that I can’t make him tell me anything, or force him to tell me anything, but I was wondering if you could try talking to him? He’s looked scared all day and he seems zoned out whenever I talk to him.”

Bill sighed as he lifted his hand off her shoulder, “Of course, hun. I’ll certainly try, but no promises.”

She smiled at him before giving him a quick hug, “Thank you, Papa,” and suddenly she was off, heading back inside.

What a contagious smile.

~~~~~~~~~~

“M-Mom! It.. I…”, his words began to paint a wave of emotions. Pure panic to silent, exhausting fear in two seconds.

Bill’s hands held onto him tight, the poor boy was shaking so bad, they might’ve well just been stuck in an earthquake. “Cricket, son, I-I need you to calm down.”

Unfortunately, for Bill, that was all it took to get the boy to shatter into a thousand pieces. Loud, intense sob’s erupted from the small frame in his arms. Tears and snot stained his shoulder as he moved Cricket’s head to face him. A messy, red, and tired face stared back.

“T-The dream…”

“What about the dream?”

“I… It was about mom,” and the sobs began again.