#I started reading the LOTR and no one can stop me now

[kettledemon]

I find it fascinating that they let Legolas go on the journey, because speaking in terms of politics, letting the only known Prince of Mirkwood go on a life-threatening journey to Mordor, presumably, without letting the king of Mirkwood know, is batshit insane.

Random elf: my Lord, are we sure about this?

Elrond: Yup. Because if he does die and the mission fails, Thranduil will kill us faster than Sauron will.

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

Beauty of the Blue Pt. 2

A/N- i genuinely didn’t expect that fic to get so much love 🥰 thank you all for your feedback on it, i really do want to write more for him, but for some reason he’s a very tricky character for me to get down correctly. BUT, i’m glad that so many of you have been sending in requests so i get a little more practice for writing him 🖤 I may or may not turn this into a 3 part fic but i haven’t decided yet 😅

Summary- After a week of being on Buggy’s ship, you need to know why he’s been treating you so differently than you had imagined.

Genre- Fluff, Light smut at the end

Warnings- Reader has female anatomy, Buggy being a little bit of a pervert, hinting at smut near the end

Tag List- @lotr-got

(tag list is always open, let me know if you’d like to be added 🖤)

Word Count- 3.6k

If you’d like to read Part 1 you can find it here 🫶

You woke up to the sunlight shining through the window of your room, the gentle rocking of the ship awoke you further, easing your way slowly out of bed.

Your arms were stretched up over your head as you yawned, and a smile slowly came to your lips as you looked around the room.

It was small, but cozy.

Buggy had kept his promise, and he had given you nothing but the best since you’ve made your deal. Your bed had the softest blankets and pillows you’ve felt in a long while, he’d given you plenty of clothes to survive on for the next few months at sea if need be, and of course you were given as much privacy as you needed, only calling for meals as you lay in bed all day if that’s what you wished.

It was an easy life, and to be honest it was quite nice not having to ask for much anymore. You had been given every little thing you had asked for, and if his crew couldn’t get you what you wanted, Buggy would send them off on one of the lifeboats to return with what you needed and more as an apology. Out of everything else you had gotten out of your deal, Buggy was the thing you were most grateful for.

Even the crew had never seen him so eager to get up in the morning to greet you.

Each and every morning you’d woken up to him at your door, already fully dressed and ready for the day, wishing you a good morning with some breakfast if it was ready and tell you of the ships plan for the day. Thus far it hasn’t been too much of a journey. The Big Top was headed to the Grand Line, slowly but surely, and up until this point you hadn’t been asked to use your beauty to get them much of anything.

Every stop you made, Buggy would ask if you needed anything at all while they were stopped, and it felt nice to not have to be the one doing the work to get you what you needed. It was strange, having someone always doting on you rather than the other way around.

Buggy had been nothing but kind and respectful to you since you came aboard his ship, and he made sure the crew had been giving you the same treatment. You couldn’t be more grateful. Only a week in, and your life had already been changed for the better.

Though one thing had been on your mind since that night at the bar.

You figured that Buggy would’ve wanted something from you in return by now, and yet he had not asked for one thing. No intimacy, no private time together, nothing. Each and every time you had been given an offer by another captain they always wanted one specific thing from you, they made that clear, and you didn’t give it up that easy. Buggy won you over because you knew that if that was what he wanted, you wouldn’t be opposed to giving him a little something extra in return for giving you such treatment aboard his ship. And yet, he was always so respectful.

Giving you his arm to guide you wherever you went together, letting you have your privacy when you changed or bathed, and though it was nice to be able to not expect him to come into your room every night and leave after getting what he wanted, you started wishing he would.

You had caught yourself sneaking longer glances over to him, smiling whenever his gaze met yours. His touch would linger on you for a few moments longer than normal and you never wanted that sensation to leave your skin. You’d lay in bed at night wishing that you had someone warm laying next to you to hold you in their arms. You wanted it to be him.

He had already shown you another side of him, the side that could be caring and compassionate if need be, but you wanted so much more. You came onto this ship agreeing that you would be his, but now you wanted him to be yours.

Your legs hung over the edge of your bed and you smiled when you heard that familiar knock at your door.

“Come in!” You said in between yawns.

Buggy had entered with a smile, his captains hat off, a small tray in his hands with your breakfast.

“Good morning.” He said with a smile as he placed the little tray next to you on the bed, “My, my, that beauty sleep really does wonders on you.”

You giggled and looked at your hands in your lap to try and hide your blush. You had heard the way he spoke to his crew and to the islanders he had come across when going in for more supplies, and he had never used that tone with you.

“I’m glad you think so.” You reached out and sipped the tea he had brought you, “What’s on the agenda today, captain?”

“Not much more than what we did yesterday.” He approached you and sat on the other side of the tray, “No islands around, the nearest one is around a day away, so we’re just going to sail and see how long it takes us.”

You nodded and quickly grabbed the fork, picking at the little plate of fruits you were brought,

“Anything for me to do today?” You asked him, but he shook his head.

“Not a thing my dear.” He smiled and stood back up, “You just do whatever it is you always do, and i’ll take care of the rest.”

He placed his hand onto your shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, making sure none of the red on his lips transferred. He smiled down at you for a moment before clearing his throat, looking to the floor. His gaze left yours and the smile on your lips slowly faded. For some strange reason, everything felt so right with him there.

You didn’t feel alone.

“Wait!” You said to him, quickly grasping his hand and lightly pulling back, giggling as you saw it pop off of his wrist as it held yours, “Sorry…” He stepped forward and you held his hand back up to his arm, feeling the slight stretch at his wrist as it reattached itself to the rest of his body, “I still forget sometimes.”

“It’s alright,” He smiled and slowly removed his hand from yours, moving it to the side of your head, petting your hair back as he looked down to you, “I forget too sometimes…”

You shared a comfortable silence with one another, and as you looked into his eyes you could see his gaze wander and linger onto your smiling lips. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t do the same. Though covered in red makeup, you always admired how kind his smile was.

“Would you…” You started, your train of thought being interrupted by him again. Damn him and his pretty blue eyes.

Your hand moved from your side to rest on top of his as it rested at the side of your head so tenderly,

“Would you stay? I just…” You took a deep breath, collecting yourself as he sat next to you once more, your breakfast tray being moved to the side to give himself more room, “I need to know. Why have you not asked for…” You wracked your brain, trying to find the best way to ask without blatantly having to say it, “more, from me?”

He carefully cocked his head to the side, unsure for a few moments as to what you could’ve possibly meant. When his eyes moved to your lap, watching your thighs slowly and carefully rub together beneath your nightgown, he smirked.

“Is that what you want from me?” He asked you, his gaze returning to your eyes.

You could feel the heat rising to your cheeks, and you looked down to your lap to hide any emotion. You weren’t sure how to feel.

As much as you wanted to be able to give Buggy everything he needed, it seemed like he was treating you so much better than any other captain at any of the bars you had gone to ever had. He didn’t expect anything from you in return for him taking you in, and you adored how kind and respectful he was, but you were the one who wanted more. You couldn’t help it.

You shrugged, his finger moving to your chin, tilting it upwards to face him once more.

“Talk to me (y/n),” he said softly, “tell me what thoughts are racing through that pretty little head of yours.”

You took a deep breath and he sat there patiently waiting for you. He wanted to be able to make sure you were living your life to the fullest, anything you wanted you got, and he would make sure of it.

“You treat me differently than everyone else on your ship. You treat me differently than any other sea captain i’ve interacted with. I’ve seen the way you are with your crew, you’re demanding and you’re strong, and a little scary at times.” He chuckled and nodded, agreeing that his behavior with his crew could sometimes be less than rational, “You treat me better than anyone else. Every other captain that’s offered me a deal would always expect something from me in return, and i think you know what that is…” You quietly trailed off, and he could see that this was something that had been on your mind for a while.

You didn’t know why you wanted him so badly, but the way he was treating you was so unusual. At least to you it was. You were fully willing to give yourself to him whenever he asked for it, you figured it was part of your deal, but as the days had gone on he had given you your privacy and alone time, and it was lonely being by yourself at night.

“And you want to know why i haven’t asked for that from you yet, hm?” He asked.

You pursed your lips and nodded slowly. You weren’t sure what to say. Even without being able to fully finish your words, he understood exactly what you were implying.

“Well, a few reasons i suppose.” He moved his hands to hold yours gently in your lap, “The first one being, i respect you more than to just use you as my little pawn. You’re someone who has what so many other people want, and you’re someone who deserves to be shown that you’re more than a beautiful face.” He was talking sternly, seriously, he meant these things truly and deeply and you could feel him tense up as his hands held yours, “I didn’t want you to think that this partnership that we have means that i get to use you as i please, that i have the privilege of letting you be my little plaything and discarding you until you’re needed. I meant what i said in that bar (y/n), when i’m king of the pirates, i want you to be my queen. But that means nothing if it’s forced onto you.” You gave his hands a gentle squeeze, holding onto every word he was saying, “Your safety, your comfort, and your needs are more important to me than this deal we have, and i would never overstep a boundary just because i knew i could.”

You knew exactly why he hadn’t made any moves before.

It wasn’t because he only wanted you for your beauty to get him closer to the One Piece. It wasn’t because he only wanted you to be a pretty little pawn sitting at his side. It wasn’t because he didn’t think you were beautiful enough to warrant those kinds of advances. He had been giving you the time and the space you needed, everything you had asked for.

You were given your own room because you hadn’t said you wanted to share Buggy’s. You were given as much privacy and alone time as you wanted because you hadn’t said you wanted him there. You were always given nothing but the best from him and his crew, and you were more than grateful, but you hadn’t realized just how much control you had with your new found partnership.

Buggy was in charge of the ship and his crew, but you were in charge of Buggy. He would do anything your heart desired just to keep you happy.

“I’m sorry that you misunderstood me at the bar, but i want to make sure you understand this relationship clearly…” He turned his body to face you, the soft fabric of his gloves softly moved as he brought your hands up as he held them, looking into your eyes, “Whatever you want, you get. All you have to do is say the word.”

His gaze never left yours and you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. He was just waiting for you to say the word and he was ready and willing to do anything you asked.

“Whatever i want?” You asked, seeing his lips curl into a smile.

“Whatever you want.”

You softly smiled, not caring wether or not he could see how he was making you feel. So warm, so comforted, and though you could still hear the noises of the crew outside your door as they did their work for the day it felt like you were the last two people on earth. He made you feel like the only girl in the world.

“Even if it’s you?” You whispered to him, your eyes finally glancing down at his red painted lips.

He chuckled, and you thought you could see a bit of pink beneath the makeup on his cheeks. It was nice to finally see him flustered for once.

“If that’s what you wish for.”

You enjoyed the silence for a few moments, just basking in one another’s company like you had wished to since you arrived on the ship. Since you came aboard you hadn’t been able to be alone with one another for more than five minutes before one of the crew came rushing to find Buggy to tell him about a new island spotted or if another crew mate wasn’t doing the work that was expected of them. He liked the silence. He liked it with you.

“So…” You trailed off, the silence moving from comfortable to awkward, neither one of you knowing what to do next, “how do we go about this?”

“Well, for starters, i’ll have you and all of your things moved into my quarters. I see no point in leaving you all by your lonesome anymore.” Your eyes got wider and your smile was bigger just at the mention of not having to be cramped up all by yourself, “And of course you’ll get all the same normal treatment, but there will be a few changes with me.”

“Changes?” Your thumbs brushed over the soft fabric of the gloves on his hands, “Such as?”

“You’re going to be seeing me a lot more often than have been my love,” He lifted your hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, slowly working his way up your arm, kissing it after each new change, “we’ll share my bed, and you’re allowed to be as far away or as close to me as you like,” Your lips curled to a shy smile as he gently kissed your wrist, just imagining the warm feeling of getting to wake up in his arms each morning, “i’ll be at your beck and call, waiting to fulfill every need you have,” His lips moved to just below your elbow and a shiver ran over your body as he moved further upwards, “you’ll always be close to me, i’ll even have my freaks build you a throne so you’ll always be sitting pretty beside me,” You perked up at the thought of being able to sit and watch over the crew next to Buggy, everyone’s eyes on you just watching and waiting for you to make your rule, “and of course, every second you’re with me my dear, every waking moment that you’re here with me,” One gloved hand moved from yours to your chin, keeping it tilted up, making sure he had every ounce of your attention, “you’ll be getting every ounce of love, adoration, and worship that i have to offer.”

You were speechless.

Countless times, again and again, you’d have pirate captains and marine admirals profess their love to you. Crew mates and marines, even fish men and countless others had offered your their undying worship, but this was the first time you believed that someone wanted more than just the ability to say that they were the ones loving you.

Buggy knew you were more than that. And you could see that he really truly meant everything he said.

He didn’t want you because of your pretty face, he didn’t want you because you’re the most breathtaking creature to grace the earth on both land and sea. He wanted you for you. Everything that you had, he wanted. He loved you for more than your body, but for your soul, and he would spend hours, days, weeks, even years if it took that long to show you that he wanted to be the one worthy of having you want him too.

Your hands moved from his and for a quick moment the smile faded from his lips, only to return once he felt your soft fingertips graze his cheeks as you held him close,

“I want your love Buggy… Please?…”

Your breath was cut quickly by his lips pressing into yours, catching you so off guard that you nearly fell back onto the mattress, quickly catching yourself with your arms at your sides.

His lips were dry, yet soft, and you smiled at the gentle tickling of the stubble on his face as it grazed over yours. You couldn’t help but let out a small, needy whimper, finally feeling the rush of electricity run all through your body. And it was just from one kiss.

He pulled away from you slowly, a smile at his lips, and he couldn’t help but chuckle from seeing the little bit of red staining your lips from his makeup.

“I’m sorry,” His hand snaked behind your neck, holding it gently as he leaned down to you and pecked your lips, “I just couldn’t help it.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Your hands did the same, your fingers interlocking behind his neck as his body carefully adjusted over yours, “it’s exactly what i wanted…”

The position you were in was nothing short of provocative.

You arms around him while one of his hands held you close, the other holding him up on the bed as he was leaned over you, your bodies so close to one another. The nightgown that draped over your body had been pulled up to your thighs, and you were wishing he would just get it over with and rip it off of your body, but he was too gentle with you for that. He treated you like your body was made of glass, handling you so delicately like you would break at the slightest hint of pressure. It was actually quite a talent.

His hand slowly moved from your mattress to your thigh, the glove on his hand making you shudder as you felt the corduroy fabric slowly stroking over your thigh. Though you hadn’t even noticed it, your leg had slowly moved upwards, laying just over his hip. A smirk came to his lips as he looked at your lower body, and though he had the opportunity to take a peek between your legs and see the little wet spot on your panties that was entirely his doing, he had no interest in it. He was looking down at your legs, watching them slowly moving back and forth, one at his side and the other laid against the mattress. He was making you writhe, just from a few kisses and his hands on your legs, and he loved it.

“Buggy…” You pleaded with him, just needing him to touch you. He made it so sweetly unbearable to have to wait.

A chuckle escaped his lips and he slowly looked back up into your eyes, giving your body a quick once-over just to fully take in the sight before him.

“All in good time my love.” He leaned forward once more and placed a gentle kiss to your forehead, “First, i want you to get all settled into my quarters. Why don’t you change and put on one of those pretty outfits i have for you, i’ll grab some of the crew to move your things around.”

He fixed your nightgown back down your legs, taking your hand and carefully pulling you up, his glove wiping away the little red marks his lips left behind.

You took a deep breath, trying to push the feeling of want back down, knowing that he’d give you what you needed eventually. You stood up from the bed and wandered over to the small wardrobe, glancing over to Buggy who had moved himself into one of the chairs across the room. His legs were spread, he was leaned back comfortably, and his eyes never left your figure as a smirk came to his lips.

“Well aren’t you going to get some of the crew?” You asked him, sifting through the hangers in the wardrobe for the perfect little outfit to wear.

“And miss the show?” He chuckled, “I never said i was leaving sweetheart…”

[popquizhot-shot]

i was inspired by @allysunny 's fic where miguel watches snow white and i loved it so much its literally so wholesome. GO READ IT.

and after that i watched a lotr fanart reel with the evenstar theme and i began to wonder how mig would like Lord of the Rings. cuz he has to if the relationship is going to work im sorry-

So here's the product of my labour lmfao im doing the first movie only because this would be way too long if it was all three

MIGUEL WATCHES LOTR(extended edition ofc)

-I feel like he'd come across you either looking at fanart or edits of the characters and be intrigued.

-"what's that, tesoro?" nosy mf he'd smush onto your shoulder from behind, your hair ticking his nose lightly.

"it's lord of the rings, babe. how have you-"

and you realise mans is from 2099 how tf is he going to know what lord of the rings is.

and thats how you end up sitting in front of the tv at 8am in the morning with tea and breakfast and the shire theme playing from the tv.

-"They're dwarves?" Miguel asks when he sees Frodo next to Gandalf

"No, they're Hobbits."

"But Hobbits are basically dwarves?"

"Nope, different race, honey." you kiss his cheek as his eyes squint in confusion.

=Merry and Pip remind him of ahem certain spider people

-He gasps when Bilbo disappears and is like wtf when he sees him reappear and have a meltdown over the ring.

-He gasps AGAIN when you tell him that gandalf actually left frodo in the shire for 17 years and not like a few hours or days

-gets annoyed at merry and pippin AGAIN

-fucking loves samwise but thinks he needs a bit more spine(give him a chance wait till the end of the series)

-he will raise an eyebrow at you trying to stop your squeal when looking at the first glimpse of this strider and his pipe.

-i feel like the nazgul would freak him out(just a little but its the horses)

-THE HORSES i feel like he wont give af honestly about them because he can co exist with widow on the team but since he has the phobia he wouldnt fawn over them(not me pssh i love the pretty horsies)

-absolutely thinks frodo is going to die when hes stabbed by the nazgul

-his eyes widen when arwen our queen rides in and you squeal again

-he admires arwen and her abilities, that scene with the river and the nazgul makes his jawdrop.

-"tesoro i like this movie." "slut" "im YOUR slut" *mwah*

-he loves the rivendell and the set design is honestly breathtaking he gets so into it

-arwen and aragorn are adorable and he holds you tighter when the flashback scene between them is shown

-you clap when you see legolas ride in and he sideeyes you yet AGAIN

-sees the appeal tbh

-he loves that you're so passionate about something and want to share it with him and he sees it as an honour that you're willing to do this, spend an entire day watching a movie series with him its baffling to him

-you on the other hand get worried that he finds it boring but then when he gets into it youre ecstatic that he likes it too and you both can enjoy something thats so close to your heart.

-it can be hard to relate to someone who's so different from you, like mans is spiderman, a geneticist, leads an elite strike dedicated to the multiverse-

-but you both gel in a lot of ways (which is why dude loves you and would die for you and kill for you either way what bliss)despite leading such different lives and now there's one more thing you can bond over and it fills you with happiness and you have to snuggle into him and he holds you tighter in response, smooching the top of your head

-absolutely despises boromir at first(it changes)

-thinks elrond is bossy asf(look whos talking babe)

-he gets worked up when boromir starts coveting the ring and is like he should die

-sniffs when the man actually dies in such a heroic way

-i think he has to cover his mouth when aragorn finds boromir and kisses his forehead because its such an emotional scene and this man has gone through such loss and probably similar things in his own battlefield except he wishes he could have given his teammates better goodbyes.

-when the movie ends yk the way it does he immediately puts on the next one.

-"babe wait i have to pee!" "pee fast then and come back!" *pats your ass as you walk past him and you try to swat him because that doesnt help after holding in your pee for like 3 damn hours

-he really likes it and he loved experiencing it with you, listening to your commentary sometimes, rolling his eyes lovingly when you grin at aragorn or legolas or sam or arwen, but he loved it even more because it was a piece of you that was bared to him and he accepted it and loved it too because it was YOU

-and because its a legendary piece of art.

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: A Long-Expected Party

There’s something so incredibly endearing about the slow, meandering beginning of LotR.

Even today—in a day and age when every author tries to grab you by the eyeballs in the first five words—Tolkien’s writing still has that gentle, irresistible draw that takes you by the hand and leads you slowly but surely into adventure. Something about a “birthday party of special magnificence” just appeals to all our inner children, I think; and the tiny mysteries, and the joy of a world of fantastical creatures living in peace and comfort, just adds to that. You want to go to Middle Earth, and you want to get lost in it. It’s like a lazy river at a water park; you wade in, get settled, and relax, and the next thing you know you’re far away from where you started.

All of that to say, Tolkien’s writing is goals and I aspire to be even a fraction of what this man was someday.

Anyway. To the bullet points!

Isn’t it hilarious how quick people are to begrudge one another their good fortune?? If Bilbo had been poor and died in a timely manner his neighbors would probably have liked him just fine, but he gets a lot of wealth and lives a long time and all the hobbits go >:-(

They’re not wrong to be suspicious, of course, but it’s still a biting social commentary. And very funny!

“As Mr. Baggins was generous with his money, most people were willing to forgive him his oddities and his good fortune.” 🤣

“You should come live with me so we can celebrate our birthday parties more comfortably together” belongs in the same category as C. S. Lewis’ “and they got so used to arguing that they married each other to keep doing it more conveniently”

“And suddenly, all the old people found that everyone actually WANTED to hear their rambling stories!”

GAFFER GAMGEE MY BELOVED

Hobbits are all so terribly prejudiced. What endearing morons.

Ooh, confirmation that Bilbo and Frodo look similar!

“There never was much to tell of him! … Till he was drownded.” “DROWNDED??”

I love that the only things we know about Drogo Baggins are that he was unremarkable and fat and married a strange woman

The Gaffer: “Thank goodness Mr. Bilbo saved young Mr. Frodo from those strange, dastardly Bucklanders…”

Meanwhile, Merry feels his eye Twitch and doesn’t know why 🤣

The spelling of jewels as “jools” is adorable for reasons I can’t describe

Tiny Gaffer Gamgee saw Bilbo come home from his Adventure!!

The Gaffer’s words are strangely prophetic. Sam did indeed land in trouble that was bigger than him—and thank goodness he did.

The Gaffer basically says here “if generosity is being strange, we could do with a lot more strangeness!” and honestly that’s a motto I want to live by

I love that Sam is most likely the one who started the rumor about the fireworks X-D

I wish we’d gotten to see the Dwarves visiting Bag End in the movies. It’s a shame they were cut. Imagine what cool costumes they could have had!

“G for grand!” and Gandalf’s smile. Ugh, my heart 🥹

Pity that September 22nd fell on a Friday this year. We were so close to it being a Thursday, like in the book! Oh well. Try again another year, I guess X-D

Are small business owners grumbling about your purchases from foreign parts?? Here’s an easy solution! Just BUY OUT THE STOCK OF EVERYONE FOR MILES AROUND IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS

Also the fact that the post offices are absolutely flooded 🤣 Bilbo, you madlad

“Old Gaffer Gamgee stopped even pretending to work on his garden” LOL

The brief paragraph of NOOO BAD WEATHER THE DAY BEFORE THE PARTY is honestly spectacular. It’s so nerve-wracking for just a second there—which is hilarious in light of the war and death and GIANT SPIDERS we’re going to read about. I think it has a flavor of Tolkien’s beliefs on eucatastrophe hidden in there—it’s not out of Bilbo’s own effort that the weather cleared up just in time for his party, it was just happy providence—but I’m too tired to write an essay about it right now.

“Half the Shire’s been invited…and the rest of them are turning up anyway!”

The hobbits who came through the gate again to get a second present 🤣🤣🤣

“The hobbit-children were so excited that for a while they almost forgot about eating.” That’s impressive!!

I love that some of the toys are dwarven-made. That’s such a cool detail that makes the world seem both fantastical (because dwarves!) and real (because you can Amazon order toys from them!) at the same time.

The names of the fireworks!! Especially the ones that are onomatopoeia, like “backarappers”! It just makes brain go ✨✨✨

Pfffft, yellow rain

There’s the express train reference!

Notable difference here: in the movies, the big dragon firework was set off ahead of schedule by Merry and Pippin, and all the hobbits freak out. In the book, the big dragon firework is set off right on time to signal supper, and all the hobbits freak out (but are immediately pacified by food).

Small detail I’d like to see in more fanfics: “Bilbo had been specializing in food for many years, and his table had a high reputation.” Yes, the idea of Bilbo and Frodo eating like the bachelors they are is hilarious, BUT! We have textual evidence to the contrary! I don’t know if this line means that Bilbo was a magnificent cook himself or simply hired magnificent cooks, but either way, it’s canon that the Bag End bachelors ate like kings!

“The feast was so incredible that everyone was incredibly full and took home leftovers and no one bought any new groceries for weeks. The good news is that Bilbo had bought out all the grocery stores anyway, so it was fine.”

Why is the detail about the golden buttons on Bilbo’s waistcoat so enchanting to me?? I really think this chapter just activates the Inner Child Mode in my brain, and suddenly even something as simple as shiny buttons becomes beautiful and magical. Also it’s just a lovely way to paint a vivid picture in my mind.

I’m so glad they kept so many of the jokes in Bilbo’s speech for the movies 🤣 “PROUDFEET!!”

And now here we see Tolkien, author of the fantasy epic that has defined the genre for a century and counting, unironically using caps lock. Folks, you can’t make this crap up.

The sneaky way Tolkien says Bilbo vanished before he mentions the flash of light is Very Good and hints at the fact that there’s something else at work here

Rory Brandybuck is the G.O.A.T.

“But at the same time he felt deeply troubled: he realized suddenly that he loved the old hobbit dearly.” Aww, Frodo…

Incredible that the debate between Bilbo and Gandalf over the Ring takes up almost four pages, but it doesn’t feel like it. Excellent suspense.

I wonder where Gandalf is going “to bed”. It doesn’t look like he’s staying in Bag End, so did he get a room at an inn somewhere? Is he sleeping in his cart??

Also it’s implied later in the book that Gandalf the White doesn’t sleep. Inconsistency?? A slight untruth?? Secret powerup to Gandalf the White that we’ve overlooked??

“The sun rose. The hobbits rose rather later.” Pffft

The SHADE in all the presents oh my WORD

Except for the ones for the poorer hobbits. Bilbo’s gift for the Gaffer is so simple in its contents, and yet so generous and thoughtful 🥹

MERRY MY LAD

MY FAVORITE HOBBIT (don’t tell the others)

How old would Merry have been here?? Like nineteen?? Incredible that he was already such a logistics guy that Frodo trusted him to keep an eye on the house while all the chaos is happening.

“Do you hear that, Merry? That was an insult, if you like.” “It was a compliment, and so, of course, not true.” HAHAHAHA DRAG HIM MERRY

“IF YOU DON’T LET ME IN, FRODO, I SHALL BLOW YOUR DOOR RIGHT DOWN YOUR HOLE AND OUT THROUGH THE HILL” 🤣🤣🤣

Frodo: “I’m so sorry, I thought you were Lobelia!” Gandalf: “Understandable, have a nice day”

“I would give them Bag End and everything else, if I could get Bilbo back and go off tramping in the country with him.” N’aww, Frodoooo 😭

“Look out for me, especially at unlikely times!” Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.…

“Frodo did not see him again for a long time.” Ooh, ominous.

[starrystevie]

hiya everyone! the month of june is a big one for not only myself personally but also for this blog so we'll be celebrating a few things:

my own birthday on june 24th!

reaching 2k followers! (which is still mind blowing where did y'all come from)

pride month!

now i may not be a gif maker or edit maker, but i do want to celebrate by interacting with you all in the ways i know how! i'm going to be hosting what i like to call "roll for...?", a mysterious way to get stranger things content from me for the rest of the month. starting today, june 13, you can send me in asks for things to roll for (just make sure you go over the rules before sending in an ask pls <3)

if you're interested in participating, click the read more for the rules!

how it works:

i'll have the following categories to pick from: drabble, playlist, or aesthetic/moodboard. pick one of those categories and then select up to 3 of the following subcategories for me to roll specifics for: ship, trope, vibe/colors, length, era, crossover. whatever subcategories go unchosen, i can use if i want to! each of the subcategories will have a few options in them that i will then roll for to leave the final product up to the luck of the roll. if needed, any additional details will be left up to me! if you would like it to be entirely my pick, please select 3 ships listed below for me to choose from and i will take it from there. warning, some categories will be easier for me to combine than others (ie vibe with crossover might be challenging) so please take every post with a grain of salt. this is all just for fun. these will be posted as i can get them done, so feel free to send in asks whenever you want to! i will stop accepting asks for this project on june 30th but will probably still have things to post after that. all posts will be tagged with #rollfor2023 to help keep things organized.

important to know!:

if you have any triggers or things you wouldn't want to me to include, please let me know what to avoid. i'll honor it no questions asked. all drabbles will be rated anywhere from general to mature with absolutely zero explicit smut unless you tell me you are comfortable with it being included. overcommunicate with me and we'll both be happy campers!

subcategory specifics:

ship: 1. steve/eddie, 2. robin/nancy, 3. robin/chrissy, 4. jonathan/argyle, 5. joyce/hopper, 6. bee's pick of steve ship (platonic or romantic) trope: 1. enemies to lovers, 2. friends to lovers, 3. one bed, 4. the italicized 'oh', 5. soulmates, 6. bee's pick of shop au vibe/colors: 1. whimsical/pastels, 2. angst/dark muted, 3. hopeless romantic/soft pinks, 4. cheerful/bright & bold, 5. bittersweet/blues & greys, 6. angry/dark reds length (around a certain word/song count): 1. 100-300 words/3 songs, 2. 300-500 words/5 songs, 3. 500-750 words/8 songs, 4. 750-1000 words/10 songs, 5. 1000-1500 words/15 songs, 6. bee's pick era: 1. ancient greek, 2. 1980s, 3. modern/2020s, 4. 1800s wild west, 5. 1940s, 6. unspecified fantasy world timeline ala lotr or got crossover (all chosen from my favorites!): 1. moulin rogue, 2. across the universe, 3. bee's pick of disney movie, 4. grishaverse, 5. glee, 6. supernatural

an example ask (can copy / paste if you'd like!):

i would like a drabble with a roll for ship, length, and crossover. avoid character death and mentions of drugs.

i hope this makes sense, so please let me know if you have questions! i'm truly just wanting to do something fun for the hell of it because isn't that we're all here for anyway?! rejoining the fandom side of tumblr this time last year has been such a great decision. i've been able to meet so many of you wonderful people and remember what it's like to enjoy fandom spaces again without shame. best of all, it's gotten me writing again, which had been such a big part of my hobbies that i had pushed aside. getting back into writing as a way to express myself and make content with some fucking guys from some fucking tv show has made a massive difference in my happiness over the last year.

i thank you all so sincerely for being with me along the ride. tagging some of my beloved buds here in no possible order because if it weren't for y'alls support, i never would have written half the things i have. thank you from the bottom of my heart, truly <3

@buckleydiaz @thefreakandthehair @yournowheregirl @scoops-stevie @gothbat99 @bayouteche @toburnup @stevethehairington @judasofsuburbia @henderdads @sharpbutsoft @kkpwnall @figthefruitfaeth @fastcardotmp3 @fragilecapric0rnn @wynnyfryd @stargyles @jeysuso @bitchsteve @lovespiralls @riality-check @cheatghost @legitcookie @hellsfireclub @sanguineterrain @kingofscoops @roykentt @sidekick-hero

[middle-earth-mythopoeia]

I’m tired of the argument that Amazon will “bring more fans into the Tolkien fandom.” It’s technically correct: there will undoubtedly be some people who get into Tolkien through the Amazon show. But does it have to happen that way? And what exactly is the point of making that argument? 

Lord of the Rings isn’t obscure. The books and movies are popular and well-known worldwide. You’d have to live under a rock to not at least tangentially know about LOTR, even if you haven’t read the books or watched the movies. Even if Amazon’s TV show will bring more fans into the fandom, what is stopping those same people from engaging right now with the books or the movie trilogy? Nothing. Nothing is stopping them. 

What I find frustrating about the argument that Amazon is going to “bring more fans into the fandom” is the unstated message that follows from it. The implication is that since Amazon is going to bring in new fans, which is a good thing, then we should somehow be grateful to them and stop criticizing the show. 

Whether people mean that is, unfortunately, beside the point. I’m sure that many people saying “there are going to be new fans!” are just trying to be positive, and that’s fine. Here’s the thing: any new movie or show that is being made in an established fandom will bring in at least some new fans. A bad adaptation will bring in new fans. A good adaptation will bring in new fans. It’s a redundant concept: it’s reflexively true. Of course new movies/TV shows/spinoffs/whatever bring in new fans. Why even point it out? Because of what’s not being said. “The Amazon show will bring more fans into the fandom... therefore it’s a good thing.” That’s what’s not being said.

Again, this might not be what people think they’re trying to say, but it’s what comes across. In the last year or so, and especially in the last few months, a lot of Tolkien fans have been upset about how Amazon is approaching Tolkien’s works. It’s in response to those concerns that people started saying, “but the show will bring in new fans.”

Bringing more fans into the fandom doesn’t make Amazon good. It doesn’t mean that Tolkien fans need to be grateful for a poor and disrespectful adaptation of stories we love. It doesn’t negate all of the bad choices Amazon has made on the TV show, or the fact that they’re releasing it on the day Tolkien died, or the sheer hubris of the showrunners, who think they can create “the novel Tolkien never wrote.”

Here’s an analogy. Let’s say you have a little town in the mountains surrounded by big forests. Then a logging company buys up a bunch of the land and starts cutting down the trees. But they employ local labor! So now you can say, “well, they created a bunch of jobs, so this is a good thing.” That’s kind of how I see the argument of “Amazon is bringing more fans into the fandom.” Because the logging company that’s now destroying the environment wasn’t the only way to bring more job opportunities to the town. Amazon’s atrocious adaptation is certainly not the only way to bring more fans into the fandom. You know what would be another way? An adaptation that’s actually good. Arguments saying that Amazon is bringing new fans into the fandom come across to me a bit like, “well, this is good for the economy!” while ignoring that it’s not good for people.

The other thing is, it’s not like the Tolkien fandom is a barren wasteland. On the contrary, I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a more active, thriving fan community, and one that is also very international, multilingual and multicultural. New people are coming into it all the time, entirely without the help of a greedy, corrupt megacorporation. 

To be clear, if I see people making fanart, fanfiction, or edits of the show, I will simply not interact with them. I won’t gatekeep them, I won’t start debates with them about what’s canon and what’s not, I won’t criticize them for engaging with the show, and I hope you won’t either. My criticisms are of Amazon. Nor is this post aimed at anyone in particular; it’s just addressing a topic I’ve been thinking about for a while. 

All in all, I mean no ill will towards people who happen to find Tolkien’s works through the Rings of Power show. I just wish it didn’t have to be that way.

[amethystsoda]

your personal top (10?) manga? :))

Hello!!!

I am going to preface this with the fact that I only got into anime around 2014/2015 (Fullmetal Alchemist + Brotherhood) and then read the manga around 2016.

I only started avidly reading around 2019 with digital copies of JoJo and fell into loving manga from there and genuinely becoming a reader/keeping up with new releases and starting to learn Japanese (basic hiragana, etc) in 2021.

My other qualifications for these picks are that I am an irl artist (illustration and stained glass), taught an art history course for 1 year, and I read/write as much as possible outside of work.

I will also say that I may not have finished reading all these series yet, but they are the ones near and dear to my art-loving heart.

Also sorry it’s a few more than 10 *sweats*

Fullmetal Alchemist — Hiromu Arakawa

My very first manga.

Knowing that Arakawa taught herself art while still working on her parents’ farm and used her nights/time off to write it made me so in awe of her drive and skills. The ways the story deals with humanity, war, power, and love make it a timeless classic.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure — Hirohiko Araki

It’s bonkers. It’s off the wall. It’s been going since the 80’s and Araki is still working. There’s so much to love. There’s so much to hate. But no matter how you feel about JJBA, it’s undeniably a masterpiece.

Araki’s dedication to the art is one of the biggest draws, with his fashion and art history references and use of bright colors. You can feel his love for the medium shine through his full color pieces!

My personal favorite parts are Phantom Blood, Diamond Is Unbreakable, Stone Ocean, and Jojolion (ikik all the “boring” parts, but I think that’s where the characters are most interesting)

Jujutsu Kaisen -- Gege Akutami

My next big read after JoJo. After watching season 1 of the anime, I knew I needed more. The way that Gege uses the classic shonen tropes combined with explorations of life and death is very strong storytelling.

We learn from the start about curses, cursed energy, we witness a major death in the protagonist’s life and he’s given a goal:

“You’re a strong kid, so help others. Even if it’s only those closest to you, just save the people you can. It’s okay if you lose your way, and don’t worry about whether they’ll thank you or not. Just save as many people as you can, even if it’s only one.”

The series often shows us what it means to save even one and the self sacrifice that comes from protecting others, even if it’s painful or difficult. Throw iconic characters into the mix and you have the basis for an already notable classic shonen manga.

Spy x Family — Tatsuya Endo

Found family slice of life with a big dose of action and fluff?? Literally the perfect comfort manga. I saw enough promos on tumblr that I finally caved and started it in 2020 and I LOVED it.

More people are familiar now bc of the anime’s popularity, but I definitely recommend reading it as well! The art is consistently high quality, the face expressions are hilarious, and the main concept of fighting for peace is re-stated throughout the storyline.

Loid took on this mission and his spy position to bring peace. He never wants to see the horrors of war again. He never wants to see another child cry. The family may be “fake” but the feelings are real.

Witch Hat Atelier — Kamome Shirahama

I cannot stop giving high praises for this series!!!! It’s like if you mixed Ghibli’s nature and art with Narnia or LOTR’s fantasy vibes. The magic system is based on drawing and it’s such a treat for artists to read.

Shirahama also uses a lot of traditional art references for her work, like rococo, art nouveau, classic illustration, etc. She’s won awards for the series and every one is deserved.

Also the two main witches, Qifrey and Olruggio, are definitely in love and take the best care of their witch students (cough daughters) in the atelier. Qifrey is like if you mixed Howl Pendragon with Gojo Satoru. Olruggio is the traditional tsundere with a heart of gold.

The series also talks a lot about disability and how we can improve others’ lives to make them more comfortable and accessible! It’s a very unique world and story that draws you in and makes you feel at home.

Chainsaw Man — Tatsuki Fujimoto

Yes, the series everyone is currently talking about. And I’m not going to call it peak or goat, but I think the concept is very strong and well-executed.

Fujimoto pulls you in from the intro (esp Pochita, how can you not love a cute little chainsaw dog!?), he makes you care about the characters, and slowly rips your heart out chapter by chapter. It’s won awards for good reason.

Not everyone is morally black and white. There’s giant battles and dynamic art. The main character just wants to touch some boobs. The other main guy is basically a househusband after work hours. Add in a pretty girl blood devil who doesn’t like vegetables. An Angel Devil who can kill someone through a touch and loves ice cream. A sopping wet kitten of a girl who works at her family’s burger place and hunts devils on the side. etc etc.

The characters are one of the strongest aspects of Chainsaw Man and their dynamics with each other. Hate, love, control, fear… The series talks about our basest desires and anxieties and explores them in a fictional playing field with all the flare you expect from a Shonen Jump title.

Toilet Bound Hanako Kun - AidaIro

THE ART STYLE THE ART STYLE THE ART STLYE. This series is done by a two person team (AidaIro - one for art, one for writing) and I appreciate that each brings their strength to this manga.

The coloring and art are so dreamy and whimsical, while still using strong jewel tone colors (instead of only pastels or earth colors as you might expect in a western fantasy series).

The work uses the “seven school wonders” as its base and Nene Yashiro as the protagonist who just wanted to get a date with her crush and called on Hanako’s help. Through her impulsivity, she ends up under a mermaid’s curse and makes a pact with Hakano to make it more bearable, getting pulled into the carryings-on of spirits around the school.

The art/story combo is engaging, dynamic, and emotional. There’s a lot of hilarious face expressions in this manga as well and little visual gags/jokes that make it fun to read. The series started in 2014 and is still ongoing!

The Way of the Househusband — Kosuke Oono

a former yakuza member marries a designer and becomes a stay at home househusband. Hijinks ensue. Add in his former gang friend Masa and their cat Gin and you have a recipe for domestic comedy.

I’ve genuinely laughed out loud so many times reading this manga. The chapters are pretty short and are good when you need a little break to not stare at a screen. It’s another good comfort manga when you need something low intensity.

Dorohedoro -- Q Hayashida

I have to admit I found this one because of the anime MAPPA did, but I immediately explored the manga and mud and sludge art book. Q Hayashida trained in fine arts before becoming a mangaka and it shows through the quality of her work.

From the heavily detailed manga panels, to the mixed media covers, and bonus comics done in color, the world is rendered in a blend of gritty realism and surreal fantasy.

Dorohedoro is one of the most unique pieces of worldbuilding I’ve encountered, with the smoke magic system, use of doors for traveling between Hole and the sorcerers world, as well as including devils in the lore.

Again, characters are a big draw of the series, but the art is just mind blowing to me as an artist, knowing the level of craft she put into them. I still flip through the artbook for inspiration when I’m feeling drained.

I haven’t finished all of the manga, but I’m slowly collecting the volumes (some are out of print). But I believe all the pdfs are up on archive.org (also please keep in mind there is an Adult Only/18+ content warning on this manga as there is gore and some nudity)

Blue Period — Tsubasa Yamaguchi

I started collecting this when they released volume 1 and just kept collecting. If you’re an artist at all or appreciate art, this is a series for you. It describes the struggles of finding your voice as an artist so deeply and you will feel understood and seen.

There are quite a few characters in the series, so I suggest looking at the wiki for this one to keep everyone straight. I also recommend watching the anime, as the colors and voices help distinguish the characters further.

The art history references in the chapter art makes this a scavenger hunt for art nerds and the messages of self searching, acceptance, and discovery are something anyone can relate to. (edit: I looked up the series more and it's another woman author!! :D )

The Case Study of Vanitas — Jun Mochizuki

Another I started collecting because of the anime, but it’s SO so beautiful (Arakawa sensei even gave a recommendation inside the front cover of volume 1!)

Also!!! Another woman author!! I’m so happy to give lots of women author recs. If you like gothic romantic vampire dramas set in alt history steampunk Paris with a dash of horror, then this is for you.

Bisexual vibes from literally all of the main 4 (Noe, Vanitas, Dominique, Jeanne). Some moments of sensuality, but it never goes into overtly sexual, making it more accessible for teen readers.

Her watercolors are instantly recognizable and stunningly gorgeous. Noe’s delight in the world is balanced by Vanitas’ grumpier realism. Also, the concept of a vampire that can read memories through blood blew my mind. Definitely recommend.

Special mentions:

Yotsuba&! (a classic first manga for kids. Heartwarming. Funny. Adorable)

Skull Face Bookseller Honda-san (also a good anime. Only 4 volumes. All the crazy things that happen in a bookstore/publishing. Funny and a great autobiography by the author Honda)

Kaiju No. 8 (an up and coming Shonen Jump that’s already slated for an anime!!!! Kaiju battle action + a 32 year old protag that had an accident while working and can now turn into a Kaiju >:D Monster lovers rejoice)

I also have a few singles of older shojo manga that I’m getting into recently like Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Kitchen Princess, Host Club!

[crestfallercanyon]

🏜️ 🥤🍓 :)

Thank you so much for the ask @mmmichyyy !! I'm excited to answer.

First off, the (I actually don't know what this is lol) 🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Um, I just appreciate people enjoying my work, honestly. Always makes my day. I do enjoy when people point out lines that they liked, and especially if they think it really sounds like the character I'm writing for (when it comes to fanfiction). It just makes me feel good. But honestly, just hearing someone enjoyed what I wrote truly is super thrilling and I love hearing from people reading, so really anything.

and then the 🍓, how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

So I started writing original fiction a LONG time ago, like when I was a young tween. I got into fanfiction due to the pandemic. I just wanted to write something indulgent for me, and had never heard of ao3 and had never had a tumblr either. My first fandom I wrote for (knowing it was fanfiction, I technically wrote Doc Holliday/Katie Elder fanfiction way back when, if it can even be called that),but my first fandom was Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Then it was a teeny tiny video game fandom that I won't even say that's how small it is. Then coldflash, then my friend got me back into TMR and I haven't left TMR since, but have picked up others like Inception and Shameless.

It initially started as a practice to try to help me get my pacing to be better (because I tend to write too long). And now I still think my scenes are probably a little too long lol, but I have become a better writer over the years. So yeah, that's how I got into it!

🥤 recommend a fic or an author I love

Oh, do we have all day? I'm going to take up all day. I realize it says "an" as in probably only one, but I went way overboard. like embarrassingly so. I have so many recs. This got out of hand and I wasn't even done but it's time for me to go to BED so I have to STOP. Anyway, here is my list of recs. I moved this question last that's how long this is lol. Hope you find something you love from here!

@subjecta5newtella , (unbelieve on ao3) they don't miss. I've read several different fandoms of what they've written and they're all great. They also write killer second person fics which is just like, it takes a damn good writer to do that. Also I just learned they've also written for Avatar and Merlin and now I will be reading more of their fics. (also fuck me I have not commented on so many of these I'm such a bastard, I need to comment). Anyway, Some fic recs from them of what I have read that's been great

A Hundred Thousand Loves (for just this one), Maze Runner, Minewt, T+

And if This is What it Takes, Stand By Me, Chris Chambers/Gordie, M

holding all i used to be sorry about, The Flash, Hartmon, T+

They also do great Star Trek: TNG and just Star Trek in general fics

@blue-summers, bluesummersmoon on ao3-- I love all of their thomally. They have written for thomallyweek a few times now and I just -- there is something so lyrical about how they write, and whether their melody is a tragedy or a lullaby, it just always sings. They also have a greece au that's fantastic for tmr. They've also written for other amazing fandoms (I believe I have read their Merlin fic now that I am looking at the title) and I just. I recommend. (they've also done LotR which I'm so mad impressed by and they've done Merlin too!)

Oh when you love it, TMR, Thomally, T+

Meltwater, TMR, Thomally, G

The Greece AU

fissures, TMR, Minewt, T+

@qlala, qlala on ao3 as well, they don't miss. Their fics always are so good. I particularly love their modern aus, I don't usually love aus with coldflash but I love all of qlalas, I also don't usually read kid fics, but you guessed it, qlalas are fantastic. They are such a good writer, and their coldflash just has me chomping at the bit. I often drift on the sides of coldflash these days, but whenever I see they've posted I am brought back into the swirl of them and I am ever so happy to be back because that's how good qlala is.

and because I'm a sucker for soft possessive coldflash, here's one of my absolute favorites: and in your heart I feel how cold it can get; which by the way I just realized how tragic that title is and I am in awe again. So good.

Also this au where Barry is a hired escort and Len is a politician hiring him to raise his ratings with the polls (there's a part two as well/not really technically tied to this story but same universe) that's gold: talking with your fast hands, saving all your slow dances -- very good (also that song the title is from is also a banger, winnetka bowling league my beloved).

@sam-loves-seb, sam_writes_fics on ao3, I am pretty sure they are my most bookmarked gallavich writer, I love the way they write gallavich, also their fucking power to be able to stick to like themed MONTHS and churn out GOOD FICS so FAST? because of time and because their stuff is all that good, I am genuinely just going to link their whole profile and tell you that if you like gallavich you won't be disappointed, they're amazing.

I don't know their tumblr, but pink_ink is another fantastic gallavich writer. They mostly write explicit stuff, and it's all great. They have a (few) multiple chap fics that absolutely stole my heart. My favorite one of theirs? It is absolutely so poetic and sexy and tragic, and Mickey's voice is on fucking point.

Regular What, Shameless (US), Gallavich, E

Paragraphs is also really good. A Shameless multichap ,Gallavich, E

Another tumblr that if they have one I don't know, but I also love spqr's works. It's funny because I've actually just naturally ran into them like several times while delving into fandoms, I never looked at their dashboard until I hit them I think three separate times because I was like "wait, I recognize this author, did I read something else of theirs?" and it was straight up in an entirely different fandom. The fics I did that on are as follows:

madwoman, The Queen's Gambit (TV), Beth/Benny, M

Whensoever, The Sandman (TV), Dreamling, E

the dry sand of daylight, Inception (2010), Arthur/Eames, E

Um, I could do this for hours just going through my bookmarks, but I genuinely am getting tired so I don't want to do that. One day maybe. But, some fics that I would absolutely be a complete dunce if I did not mention because I reread them SO OFTEN. So here we go:

Ready by comebacknow, The Maze Runner, Minally, M

all i want of the world, coming down, Inception (2010), Arthur/Eames, T+

burnout by Tattered_Dreams, The Maze Runner, Brenda/Gally, T+

makes a cathedral, him pressing against me by misandrywitch, Shameless (US), Gallavich, No Rating (and its companion! and we will be like sailors, swimming in the sound of it by intimatelyrearranged)

Cold Storage by @sproutwings (sandrine shaw on ao3 -- also filled with great fics), the Flash TV, Iris West & Leonard Snart, T+

and for a woman wert thou first created by @hamartian-cathexis, The Maze Runner, Minewt, T+

this is what makes us girls by @its-tea-time-darling, TMR, Rachel/Sonya, E

Pinesong by aperplexingpuzzle, Legend of Zelda BOTW, Link/Revali, T+ (this ship came as such a surprise to me, but it's so good)

Stag and Wolf, Wyvern and Rabbit by deadlifts, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Claude/Felix, M

Adagio by towine, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Owaine/Inigo, M

and I'm currently (while behind) REALLY enjoying two incomplete fics

ad nauseum by Order_Of_The_Forks, Dimension 20: Fantasy High, Riz Gukgak/Fabian Seacaster, T+

Stitches by nightmarechild, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn, Rhys/Shinon, T+

These are all courtesy of the writers truth or dare! I love answering questions so thank you SO SO much for asking! if you want to ask more, just send me a message, I'm not shy <3

[utilitycaster]

I’m Reading the Drizzt Novels and You Can’t Stop Me: Sojourn

I did not actually put this off because it is the weakest of the Dark Elf Trilogy, though it is, nor because we then get the "hey remember how at one point Wulfgar was supposed to be the hero before we realized he had rocks for brains" Icewind Dale trilogy; I just was reading other books. Anyway. On to the next one.

Drizzt is still desperately lonely on the surface, which he reached at the end of Exile, and also the sun hurts and his magic items are degrading in the sunlight because the drow magic is somehow different than good sunlight magic. I don't know why. D&D! This will continue to be a theme. Anyway, he also doesn't know Common and so the first half of the book is him bouncing around not knowing how to talk to anyone but goblinoids, who, as we know, are ontologically evil as of this time in D&D's storied history of fantasy racism. Anyway the plot is rather well-made in terms of getting things to happen sequentially, but it does get kind of maudlin. The series of unfortunate events befalling our lavender-orbed hero are thus:

Gets really sad and desperate and also sprayed by a skunk -> goes to hang out with a band of gnolls

Gnolls plan on attacking a human family. Drizzt kills them. He regrets this. Then he starts watching the family (*FCG voice* not in a creepy way) and concludes he was right to save them.

One of the children, Liam Thistledown, a halfling-ass name if ever there was one, runs into Drizzt in the woods near the farm. Drizzt introduces himself. Liam goes off running yelling "DRIZZIT". His family doesn't believe him, but he convinces two of his siblings to join him and his older brother Connor, who, in a twist from the hit series Succession is considered trustworthy, confirms this is a dark elf who is therefore Evil. The villagers discuss what to do, and someone who is named, and I am not making this up, Roddy McGristle, decides it's Drow Season.

Drizzt is quick and evades most people but a quickling named Tephanis who is working for twin barghests forces him to give up his position to Roddy McGristle, stop giggling. Drizzt is forced to injure him and kill one of his two hunting dogs to escape.

Tephanis tells its master, Ulgulu, the bigger barghest, that Drizzt killed its gnoll servants who were helping it feast upon the village and so now there's two groups after Drizzt: Roddy and also the barghests. BTW the barghests are described in a way where Mr. Salvatore is definitely trying to convey very crunchy early D&D mechanics in prose with varying degrees of success.

The barghests slaughter the Thistledown family and frame Drizzt. Drizzt is distraught, everything he touches is cursed, etc etc. I feel like I'm being very dismissive and I'm not, he does genuinely have an awful and lonely time, but this does keep happening.

The mayor, seeing that Roddy "the body" McGristle WWE fighter and/or adult entertainment star failed, calls Dove Falconhand, known ranger and, if she'll have me, my wife. She is apparently a chosen of Mystra so all you BG3-heads can tell me what this entails. Anyway Dove and her pals, who include an elf named Kellindil, a fastidious little dwarf named Fredegar "Fret" because on GOD we're cribbing from LOTR in this bitch, and two forgettable humans, answer the call and head towards the town. In their investigation, they suspect Drizzt was NOT the murderer but Roddy harbors a grudge. They go to find the real killers. Roddy joins them, despite the fact that they hate his vibes.

Drizzt meanwhile is seeking vengeance on the Thistledowns and gets it. He kills Ulgulu and his twin, who has a name but it's truly not important. He rejects an alliance with Lagerbottoms, a giant allied with Ulgulu, and starts on his way, feeling he's ruined enough lives here. He does encounter Kellindil, and leaves, which leads Kellindil to believe Drizzt is perhaps not evil and out to kill him as most drow, to be fair, are. Drizzt later helps the group with a giant ambush from afar and is badly wounded, which leads Dove to agree with Kellindil. They leave some healing potions for Drizzt. Roddy, however, harbors a grudge. He continues the hunt.

There's a lot of slow travel and Drizzt surviving in the wilderness. This part is funny when you realize that Dove and Kellindil basically become wildlife biologists trying not to interfere with Drizzt too much but also hoping he stays alive. Drizzt figures out how to start fires and stays in a cave with a big-ass bear named Bluster, who leaves him alone. At one point, Drizzt wonders if the sun is going to go away forever, so from this we can include that even people raised in eternal darkness get seasonal affective disorder.

When spring comes, Drizzt starts wandering off and encounters some orcs, who do not like him. He is helped by Montolio "Mooshie" DeBrouchee, who is for legal reasons not Quebecois but definitely is. Mooshie is yet another mentor for Drizzt who follows a particular pattern - older, male, disabled (blind; he has Daredevil powers basically, it's great) (or in Zak's case just super depressed), and awesome as hell. He teaches Drizzt Common and Ranger Stuff and says some extremely dope shit about Mielikki, his goddess, and generally gives rangers the vibe of like, a paladin of nature, which is very cool and makes you wonder why the flavor got so diluted by 5e. The musings on the nature of god are also surprisingly good for a silly D&D book from like 1991; Drizzt and Mooshie are like "are all gods just aspects of one thing? is Mielikki real or simply the love we have in our hearts for living things? who cares it's useful to have a name to call her or them or it" and so on that basis alone I recommend this.

Unfortunately Drizzt is not yet permitted emotional healing in full (though he's doing much better); Tephanis and Roddy find him, and ally with the orcs. This is a REAL dick move from Roddy; Mooshie is a respected ranger. They and the orcs attack but Drizzt and Mooshie are aware thanks to Ranger Skills and Mooshie's cool owl buddy named (sigh) Hooter and do an entire Home Alone setup in advance and then simply win due to Drizzt's small magics and both their skill with weaponry. Oh I forgot, Drizzt gets new scimitars that aren't drow make and won't break in the sun, though they're not his goofily named eventual ones.

Roddy survives. Kellindil captures him. Tephanis frees Roddy, who kills Kellindil. He also tells Roddy Drizzt died.

Mooshie dies in the spring of old age.* Drizzt leaves, as the grove isn't the same.

time skip during which Drizzt tries to find a place that will accept him, but can't; the death of Kellindil is really an elegant way to force this, I must admit.

Drizzt falls in with some really annoying friars who are a mix of people who are genuinely unwell and people who are just scammers, but they tolerate him because he protects them. He does not enjoy this.

Roddy learns that Tephanis lied when someone else mentions Drizzt. He is mad at Tephanis but continues to stalk Drizzt.

There is a whole scene in some tunnels headed towards Icewind Dale with a dragon named Hephaestus that frankly feel like they were written to get to a certain word count slash evoke LOTR even more, but Drizzt outsmarts a (to be fair, fucking stupid) dragon with his wits and his purple eyes and leaves for Icewind Dale. The reason he has to do this outsmarting is a Tephanis Plot. Roddy then kills Tephanis for going against his plans.

Drizzt is turned away from the towns of Icewind Dale, but the spokesman of the largest town tells him he can go up by Clan Battlehammer's grounds and serve as a ranger. Drizzt agrees.

Cattie-brie, who is great although in this book she is like 9 years old, notices Drizzt and talks with him. She reminds him of Liam Thistledown. This won't get weird when she develops a crush on him several books later, I'm sure.

Bruenor Battlehammer, whom you may recognize from the first few pages of your PHB, is Cattie-brie's adoptive father. He gets mad at her for talking to the drow, but eventually he too comes around on Drizzt not being evil. Before he does so, he realizes that Drizzt may be a drow but Roddy FUCKING SUCKS (after Roddy comes to ask about Drizzt).

Cattie-brie goes to ask Drizzt if he really killed the Thistledowns as McGristle said he did. He tells her he didn't, but he'll leave if Bruenor wills. McGristle shows up and grabs Cattie-brie and Drizzt fights him but will not kill him. This angers McGristle who is one of those kinds of villains, so Drizzt knocks him out. Bruenor finds and banishes him and then finally welcomes Drizzt.

This was super long and of my notes the only one I think is funny is "shorty had them Lagerbottoms jeans" so you can have that; I'm going to be less long-winded for the Icewind Dale books because they are not very good. The ones after that are much better.

*anyone know the limerick "There was a young fellow named Hall" because this reminded me of that.

[writing-for-life]

Shipper Tag Game

I was tagged by @ginoeh , thank you so much!

And also: I’m notoriously bad at doing these and still have many, many in my inbox I will eventually get round to answering (thanks to everyone still waiting), but I thought I can do this one since it will be a lot easier to write off the cuff because:

I don’t really ship; I don’t find it particularly interesting, sorry 🤣

Having said this, I’ll still try to answer the questions, so here goes…

What ship were you completely obsessed with as a teenager, but now you don’t care about anymore?

I don’t think I was ever obsessed with any ship, not even as a teenager, because I tend to like characters and their stories, but I don’t really ship them other than what’s already in canon. So very mildly, maybe Batman/Bruce Wayne and Catwoman/Selina Kyle because they never truly ended up with each other? But even that one was meh…

Which ship would you consider your first one?

Hm, again, too mildly too really care, but maybe Aragorn and Arwen from LOTR?

Your first fanfic was about which couple?

Written: Erm, despite having been a writer for aeons, I only wrote my first fanfic in 2022, and that was an OC x canon. So if we’re looking at canon x canon, it was Johanna Constantine x Rachel Moodie/Sandman.

Read: I’ve honestly no idea and can’t truly remember, but I’m fairly certain it must have been a Batman one.

Do you remember the first couple you saw fan art of?

Fairly certain it was Bruce and Selina.

Have you ever gotten into ship discourse?

When I was a teenager, people were fighting over whether Bruce/Selina or Bruce/Talia were the OTP, but we weren’t terminally online, so ship discourse in this disproportionate, unhinged way wasn’t really a thing. I stayed out of it back then and still stay out of it now because I think everyone is free to like whatever they like. I have opinions that I occasionally voice, but that’s rather about general fandom trends (misogyny drives me up the wall) than specific ships. So as long as no one tries to ram their ship down my throat, it’s all good.

Did you used to have a NOTP or have one currently?

No ship is generally NOTP, but the way some people ship can be annoying. I have to admit that Dreamling has started to get on my nerves a bit. Not because I have a general problem with the ship or people who like it (many of my mutuals do), but rather because it’s everywhere, it’s hard to filter, and certain people need to make every discussion—also the ones that have zilch to do with it—about it and literally claim every corner of the fandom.

I don’t mind if people ship them though, I just don’t constantly want to get bombarded with it. So I guess what I’m trying to say is: Have your fun with it, but leave other people who don’t like it out of it, and stop constantly encroaching on creators to make it “real”, and above all: Stop inboxing people hurtful crap. In short: Don’t be an entitled arse with OTP goggles about it.

Who were the last couple in the last fanfic you read?

Dream x Calliope/Sandman.

Currently, do you have any OTPs?

Yup, the one I’m writing, which is a canon x OC pairing, sorry. Other than that, I don’t. I usually can’t get over why pairings don’t work in canon, hence I write OCs. And if they work out in canon, they already have everything they need, so I don’t feel particularly tickled to write about them. It’s sadly how my brain works. The only ones that currently get remotely close are Dream x Calliope (because of second chances) and Dream x Johanna (because they’ll be a complete fuck-up, but in an interesting way). But I still wouldn’t consider them OTPs.

Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting into?

That question doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but maybe I’m missing something? If I can’t get into it, it’s for a reason, and that’s not a loss or something to get mad over…

Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they’re kind of interesting?

Nope.

Do you have any ship that, in the past, would have been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

No because again: I don’t really ship. Unless it’s a =>

What is your favourite crack ship?

I am one of the main instigators of “Murphy and His Cool Hat”, so of course it has to be Dream x Helm.

What is the couple you read the most fanfics about?

None in particular. I either like the tone of something or I don’t. It’s probably easier for me to say what I don’t read/tend to avoid…

What do most of your ships have in common?

Byronic men who are shit communicators 🤣

What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

Nothing outright? I can get behind a lot of tropes if they’re crafted well, the plot is solid and the writing is good. If I had to pick one thing it’s power-over-dynamics. I abhor them in real life, and I don’t feel a massive desire to write them or read about them (as in: specifically seek for them or make them part of the plot myself). But even so, I have read fics with such dynamics and it didn’t massively bother me because the story and writing were good. Another thing I’m not massively keen on is enemies to lovers and/or lots of forced arguments just so people can angry-fuck. But hate is a strong word—again, if the story is well crafted and that’s not the only thing that’s going on, I wouldn’t drop a story just because of that.

I'm no-pressure tagging @rey-jake-therapist (shipping, friend, it’s about shipping 🤣), @marlowe-zara, @tickldpnk8 if you want to, or maybe just point me towards your post if you've done it already?

[omgiamwish]

Idk if prompts are okay to ask right now with the LOTR stuff(which I LOVE, keep it up!), but if they are, I was wondering if it’s okay to see a short comic heart-to-heart between Leo and Splinter after the war? Maybe Leo’s in a state of depression and he’s just sitting at the couch watching TV and Yoshi sits with him, and somehow finds the right words to help him. Just an idea.

This turned into a short fic instead (630 words).

Check out Chair Theft on Ao3 or continue reading below!

Leo sighs, eyes fixed on the projector screen but not really seeing it. Mikey had found a new old tape of magic shows for him, and Leo was trying to enjoy it, but… He just can’t pay attention to it. His thoughts keep wandering. And not even to good places, like wondering if CJ is having fun on the tour of mostly-rebuilt-NYC April is taking him on. No, his stupid brain has decided that he has to keep thinking about-

Dad’s door slides open and Leo quickly adjusts his robe, making sure it fully covers his plastron.

“Hey Dad,” Leo calls lightly, pulling a smile onto his face. “Sorry for stealing your chair.”

Splinter huffs but doesn’t reply right away, and Leo watches him notice the single katana propped on the right side of the chair.

“Have you taken your pain meds, Blue?”

Leo turns his gaze back to the screen. “Yeah.” Not that they did much on a bad day like today, when all his healed bones and scars ache like the breaks and wounds are almost new again. And that’s not even counting what hasn’t healed yet. He probably shouldn’t be out of bed today. It’s just… he doesn’t know. He thought the TV would help.

He hears Dad sigh, and then a dragging sound makes him look back over. Dad pulls one of the larger bean bag chairs over next to Leo and plops into it with a grunt.

“Remind me to ask Red to find another recliner. Mine is too small for you- not enough back support.”

Leo can’t help but stare. He’d expected… he doesn’t know what he expected- he’s only been back on his feet (more or less) for a couple weeks, and nobody’s quite back to acting normal yet. Not around Leo, at least. But he’d thought that Dad would shoo him out of the chair, or maybe just leave him alone or something. Not… whatever this is.

“Where is Red, anyway? And Orange and Purple?”

Leo shrugs with just his right shoulder. “Apparently Meat Sweats is causing trouble again. They’re taking care of it.”

Dad hums, and then breaks into an eye-squinting grin. “I think I will yell at them when they come home, for making us worry.”

This time, the smile that pulls at Leo’s face is a little more real. “Oh yeah, you’re clearly worried out of your mind right now.”

“Exactly! Now, where is your phone? Do you have it?”

Leo pulls his phone from his robe pocket and waves it in the air, curious.

“Good! Now tell them to get take-out on the way home.”

Leo snorts and begins typing in the group chat. “What, so it takes them longer and you can yell at them more?”

“That too!”

Leo hits send. Raph answers with a thumbs up emoji almost immediately and something in Leo’s chest loosens. Oh.

He looks back at Dad, who now appears to be enjoying the magic show that’s still playing. He’s not even sure if Dad likes magic shows.

“Thanks, Dad,” he croaks, because he’s trying to get better at this kind of thing, and also probably because the pain is affecting his filter.

He watches Dad start and stop an acknowledgement a few times before choosing to look back at his phone. Leo guesses Dad is trying to get better at this sort of thing too.

Mikey sends a text asking what kind of take out Leo wants, and Leo starts to answer it before his wrist aches too much and he has to set his phone on his thigh and tap out the rest of his message with his pointer finger.

Dad’s hand settles on Leo’s knee. They watch the rest of the magic shows on the new old tape together.

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

Okie but what if a new girl is at school and she’s literally the girl version of Eddie? Maybe notices her from afar, always pulling up to school blasting metal from her car, sees her holding a LOTR book, same fashion, studying a D&D manual. Maybe she’s already friends with Robin or someone. How would he deal with that?

Oh god he wouldn’t know how to act.

He only started to notice you around school when you started to become closer friends with Robin

He’d stare from afar and as soon as you caught him he’d look away or pretend to be reading whatever textbook he laid out in front of him to make it seem like he wasn’t just undressing you with his eyes

His first reaction to you would be shock

Like… There’s girls like you that exist??

You like metal, you’re into DnD and fantasy, you have the same style as him, AND you’re hot???

His dream come true

Eventually you’d notice and start toying with him every now and then

Being extra nice to him to watch him get flustered and trip over his words when he tried to think of a response

Asking to see his new campaigns and complimenting how in depth he went and how creative he was with everything

Even asking if you could have a shirt for Corroded Coffin because you want to support your local scene while at the same time you know he’d lose his mind seeing you wearing HIS bands merch

One day while you’re with Robin at Starcourt you notice that Eddie and Steve are there too, but they’re keeping their distance from the two of you

Robin sees it too and from knowing Steve’s quirks she can tell that he’s giving Eddie advice for how to talk to girls, motioning over to you every once in a while

You both watch them as nonchalantly as possible, even getting up and making your way around the mall to see if they’re following you, giggling when you turn to look at them and they have to quickly hide themselves into whatever store is nearby

And while it’s fun to mess with Eddie, you’re tired of constantly having him struggle to talk to you or even be around you, and you decide it’s time to put your foot down and make him stop being so nervous

You and Robin decide that you’re going to ‘accidentally’ run into them and she’ll drag Steve away so you get to be alone with Eddie

And it works perfectly!

You run into them while you’re in the music shop and Robin drags Steve away to help her find a few songs that Vickie might like on the mixtape she’s making for her, leaving you and Eddie alone

It’s awkward at first, mainly because Eddie’s never really been left alone with you

Each time he’s around you it’s when you’re with your friends or he’s with his, never just you two

He struggles to try and think of something to say to you, all while you’re standing there before him with a sweet smile on your face just waiting for him to try and say or do anything until you get sick of waiting

“Do get nervous around pretty girls Eddie?”

He’s surprised that out of everything you could’ve said to him, you were so direct, and though he wanted to say something he just kept tripping over his words like he always did when he talked to you, but this time he was able to speak to you longer than he ever had before

“No! I mean yeah, maybe, i guess, why are you asking? Cause it’s not like you’re not pretty, you’re really pretty, and i don’t mean that in a creepy way, i don’t want to creep you out or anything cause you’re really cool and i like you a lot, especially cause we get along really well together you know? Am i rambling?”

You giggled at how he was trying so hard to speak normally, but you still had such an effect on him that it made him lose his train of thought

“You are. You also said you liked me.”

His eyes widened and his face turned red, not realizing that he let it slip out so quickly

“Did i? Cause if i did i didn’t mean to. And i’m not saying i DONT like you cause i do, i really like you, i like you a lot and i hope it’s not like creepy or anything cause the last thing i’d want is to creep you out or scare you off or anything cause i think you’re the only girl i’ve ever met that i like so much, FUCK, i keep saying it…”

You giggle as he rambles on once again, shutting him up quickly by leaning over and placing a kiss onto his red cheek

“I like you too Eddie, i think you just need to get a little better at talking to me.”

He stands there a blushing mess, nodding as he comes to realize that this is not only the longest he’s been able to be around you, but he’s admitted that he likes you at least three times and you weren’t scared off by it

You KISSED him instead of being scared off by it

“Tell you what, next time you talk to me i want you to be able to have a conversation without getting all nervous ok?”

He nodded again and a smile tugged at his lips

You smiled back and quickly reached into your pocket, grabbing a bit of scrap paper and scribbling your number onto it for him

“Here, it might be easier to talk to me if you’re not actually looking at me.”

He took the piece of scrap paper and read it to himself, almost in shock that he’s just gotten your number, and it was so much easier than he had imagined

You quickly glance over your shoulder and see that Robin and Steve had been watching you from afar, and it seemed like they were bickering back and forth like they usually did

“I think me and Robin are probably going to go in a minute, but i’m glad i ran into you, and i’m expecting a call from you later.”

You leaned up once more and placed another kiss onto his cheek before waving goodbye to him, making your way over to Robin and Steve

Steve got the hint and made his way back over to Eddie, saying hello to you in passing like he didn’t just watch your entire interaction

“I think whatever he told Eddie made him malfunction, he’s never been able to be around me for more than a minute before.”

You told Robin exactly what happened, and she was surprised that you took control over the situation, but couldn’t wait to have another thing to make fun of Eddie for the next time she saw him

[frenchfrywrites]

Listen.... I know LOTR would be right up my alley, as a former special interest of mine was arthurian legend (with knights being a subsequent hyperfixation). But i ALSO have adhd. So like. Ain't no way. If it's longer than a fic, i can't read it most of the time. because even if i can sit down and read it for a bit, i usually don't think about it after, and then i forget it exists. And by the time i remember that it exists, i no longer remember what happened the last time i read it. It's horrible but i was wondering if you, a fellow neurodivergent, could elaborate on how u managed this

oh this is so so so fucking real!!!! I also avoided lotr and the hobbit for 1billion years (which i now regret) because of the length and whatever other reasons. I can't really explain why I felt the urge to start watching them, but it came out of absolutely no where. What helped me was stopping the movies when I needed to, and just picking them up whenever (sometimes I could only watch a half hour.. one day I watched a full movie, etc). It also helped that I got majorly obsessed once I started, so I was jumping at every opportunity to watch them.

I'm now rewatching lotr with my roommate who has adhd and has never seen them, and what's helped has been me suggesting that we watch just 10 minutes... which usually turns into an hour or so lol! I've been trying to push them thru it pretty quickly so they don't forget about or lose motivation with watching the movies with me. I also talk about a character or moment from the movies AT LEAST once a day... so maybe it helps to have a friend that is hyperfixating on the movies to help motivate you 💀 ??!

Hope this helped!!

[thegaytoadwizard]

tagged by the wonderful @oldironteeth for 5 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

music: music has been a pretty integral part of my life for the longest time, starting with "musical early childhood education" ("musikalische Früherziehung") at around maybe 2-3 yo or so, then Glockenspiel lessons (moreso just learning the very basic fundamentals of music), then keyboard lessons from like 4-7 yo, piano lessons since then (10 years now, and I'm really happy with my progress, essentially being at the highest skill level non-professionals can normally achieve), organ lessons since maybe 2018/2019 and I even played my first full church service last sunday (ignore the fact that I'm pretty much a satanist, the music sounds nice if you don't read the text and no one sees you anyway, so might as well be on your phone during the sermon parts plus I'm getting paid. also a several meters tall instrument made of metal/wood pipes with at the very least 3 sets of keys that towers over an already spacious building is metal af), also I've been singing in my schools choir for the past ~7 years, picked up guitar by myself in nov 2022 and since a Kanonenfieber show last nov my growls finally work properly. Apart from that I love listening to music, mainly Black Metal, but I've also come to enjoy stuff like OSDM, Dungeon Synth, Doom and Noise. I haven't been able to go to many concerts (essentially only one festival, one Kanonenfieber show and one Bell Witch show), but I loved those I could go to. Also I'm currently planning to start a (rn only cover) band with a few friends/friends of friends to start playing some metal and that seems to be going somewhere for once

LotR: I read the trilogy in like 6th grade and even tho I haven't read that much else Tolkien (only The Children of Huin and The Fall of Gondolin I believe, plus I've been on-and-off with a copy of The Hobbit for like half a year) it has become somewhat of a comfort series, which also probably explains how much I adore all the high fantasy Dungeon Synth

my mum being supportive: I came out to her last june and since then she stopped saying "my [son/daughter]" instead just referring to me as her 'child' and it just feels really good that she's making an active effort to support me, no doubts or stupid questions. Additionally she's been semi-jokingly using 'es' (i.e. the German it/its, since there really is no equivalent of they/them) when referring to me while talking to me or my sister, which still kinda fits, considering it may make me sound like a goblin or sth, but I spend most of my freetime in my basement room with the posture of a shrimp anyway

havin a queer friend irl: technically I have several queer friends, but they align with my own identity a lot (nb/pan/possibly ace), plus that in general we're really close means that I can talk to them about most stuff, be it dysphoria, mental health or just venting

animanga: I have no clue why specifically these forms of media, but eh. my first anime was Noragami in early 2021, my first manga Jujutsu Kaisen in summer the same year, currently I tend to read more manga than I watch anime and my physical collection of manga stands at a good 214 volumes right now (counting omnibuses as one volume). bl also kinda helped me realise that I'm not straight, so that's a win in my book. currently infatuated with the Dungeon Meshi anime. (also I doubt anyone cares but I'm just putting this here)

tags, no pressure:

@mell-150 @parasite-2 @trans-ghostboi @wolven-maw @risottoeater @lilacdelilah

[multifairyus]

Legendborn AU Discussion

Look, I love interstitial scenes, character studies, POV switches, and fix-it’s as much as the next girl. I just wanna see how my favs interact with each other in not life threatening circumstances—or at least a different flavor of them! I was thinking of common AUs I like to read and considered how they may work for this body of work.

• !College is the obvious one but I feel it needs to be handled very well or would end up too mundane or out of character. I think it’s strength would come from character interactions we don’t usually get to see in Canon. !Roomates too, to a lesser extent.

Edit: oh my god they can be the professors??? How am I a graduate student and didn’t think of this?? Professors Matthews and Kane are you KIDDING ME—

• !Mafia I think can translate well from canon themes of Bloodlines, bodyguards, oaths, secret organizations running society, loyalty, stuff like that. Maybe even more morally questionable since targets and victims aren’t demons and super powered Scions, but people.

• !Demigods I think hits similar notes—could open up interesting conversations on the Celtic pantheon and mythology. Also because I need my favs to meet my other favs 🔱

• !Historic is an intriguing minefield. Intriguing for what Canon has set up—not that much of a jump to make it straight up !Royalty is a slow pitch what with the whole King Arthur magic system and all. I think it’s a potential minefield for off color implications for the demographic of readers her deprioritize Bree as the main character of the narrative for the sake of romance “!Antebellum Southern belle Bree being courted by TWO gentlemen—“ Nope nope nope NOPE 😀 (…though I’d be lying if I said didn’t rewatch Season 2 of Bridgerton and didn’t get some Ideas™️ though…maybe a minefield can be goldmine at the same time)

• I’d be interested to see how !Pirates or !Western could be innovative. A lot of Legendborn deals with bonds and duty and titles. Both settings would need to take character motivations in a new direction and I for one would find that refreshing.

• Speaking of slow pitches… !Fantasy just does it for me in AUs…even in a world of magic i just KNOW these characters would still be so fun to follow! Expansion of magic systems and aesthetics past what we see in BM would be fascinating. Maybe a LoTR or OUaT vibe if you’re into either. I’m a D&D girlie myself 🧚🏾

• To no one’s surprise and with absolutely no explanation needed: !ABOdynamics and !Kink. (with a time-skip/everyone aged up, particularly for the latter) The girls who get it, get it and the girls who don’t, don’t. 💅🏾

• Actually yeah no I can really see how !Hunger Games would play out. I think a lot from Canon could stay mostly the same and it still works. To a lesser extent, general !Dystopia.

• Now, !Apocalypse…could be a wild ride. Haven’t read many myself to know the story beats associated. But I can see the cast stopping an apocalypse as easily as I can see them accidentally starting one!

• Because I have to give homage to my weeb roots: Both !JJK and !Demon Slayer make sense to me for Legendborn AUs. I’m too sqeamish to speak for !AOT but I think that would work too.

I’d love to hear y’all’s thoughts on other AUs, or if you (dis)agree with my thoughts! I love it when World is rich and immersive enough that you can reasonably extrapolate how characters and situations would translate in different scenarios, uhg chef’s kiss!👩🏾‍🍳💋

[crimsonkenjii-writes]

ok, now i really wanna know what weird nicknames you would call your faves 👀 or are there any funny nicknames they give you?

Lolol I’m glad you’re interested cuz it’ll give me a reason to ramble about my faves again hahaha

I can’t think of any funny nicknames they’d call me. But besides the typical romantic partner nicknames, I’d love to be called sunshine or sunflower 🥹 if any of my faves called me that I’d literally melt into a puddle.

For all my faves, everyday nicknames I’d call them would be love, lovely, darling, precious, baby, honey, sweetie, my dear. And then they would evolve into things like honey bunches of oats, sweet cheeks, sugar tits, my precious (but in the voice of gollum from lotr), and just anything that randomly comes to mind pfft

For Giyuu, I’d probably call him salmon boy at some point lmao. Like that ask you sent where we teased him about his salmon breath 😭 that’s what would start me calling him salmon boy. I’d of course also call him Tapioca lmao! We go get some boba together and I’m just like “Tapioca! It’s you!!” And then I would also start calling him boba too lolol

For Nanami, I’d jokingly call him Nanamin all the time because of Yuji calling him that in the anime. He’d hate it because he wouldn’t want me calling him by his last name lol, he wants to hear Kento in my voice 😖💓 I’d call him bread man for sure since he likes bread. And then it would evolve into pan dulce because he’s my sweet bread ♡

For Aki, I’d of course also call him topknot kekeke. I’d also call him Kon cuz I’d be teasing him, mimicking how he says “kon” and then just end up calling him that lol. I’d probably call him a doorstopper too because of his topknot 😭 I’ll be playing with it like a cat and then call him a doorstopper and then I’d laugh so hard it’ll stick for like a week. He’ll grumble but still respond to it lolol

For Shouta, I’d call him Zawa all the time but in an obnoxious voice lol but he also wants to hear me say his first name instead and then tease me that Aizawa could also be my name one day 🫣😵‍💫 and then that’ll fluster me quiet lol. And I first read his name as “shout a” so I would just “shout AAAAA” and that’d be his nickname 😭😭 until he flicks my forehead and tells me to stop shouting. I’d also jokingly call him scruffy because of his untamed appearance. But he dislikes it lol so only when I’m in the super teasing mood (he thinks me calling him scruffy sounds like a dog’s name lolol)

Basically any funky or deranged nickname I’d call my faves lmao. I have adhd so my thoughts can lead to the most obscure shit and that’s just what I’d end up calling them hahaha