#Shan's amazing followers

[mauls-fair-in-love-and-war]

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation: A Terrible Summary

Hi my name is Theron Shan and I have brown hair and brown eyes and pale skin and cybernetic implants around my left eye and right ear-

Theron Shan is not a Jedi. You will be reminded of this twenty times

Theron gets jumped by another SIS agent and proceeds to ruin an entire operation

Theron attempts to jump about 30 feet horizontally. He doesn’t make it and climbs up a building like Spider-Man

Theron steals a swoop bike and gets in a high-speed chase with a gang. Everyone claps.

Drug smugglers use an engine as a shield. It explodes.

The Dark Council is racist

Darth Marr possesses the only brain cell in the Sith Empire

Cabinet Man battleship?

Two Sith put more energy into fighting each other than the Republic. It’s amazing the Sith Empire lasted even this long

Office work is a circle of Hell

Theron Shan is good at what he does. It’s not usually his job though

“I think I’m your father” “what the fuck.”

Theron follows a drunk man into the bathroom and subsequently gets his teeth knocked out

Theron scales the side of a building to break into Jedi Grandmaster Satele Shan’s apartment, even though the door was unlocked and he was invited. He leaves the same way

I’m no Jedi. Like my father before me

Jace Malcom violates the Geneva Convention

Theron pretends to be shitfaced to get out of trouble. This plan works a few times actually

Teff’ith says acab?

“Why are you in your underwear?” “Why are you in your underwear?”

Theron Shan and Master Gnost-Dural emerge from an escape pod to cheers. They are both still (basically) naked

[feathers-little-nest]

Btw I was making a list of my favorite moments while reading Thousand Autumns. So. Here it is (under the cut bc spoilers)

- Yu Shengyan as a silly poet

- Yan Wushi threatening Shen Qiao with lip cup (ch 24) AND THEN SHEN QIAO FEEDING HIM THAY WAY IN CH 57

- Bian Yanmei vs Huo Xijing in a tea shop (ch 27)

- Yan Wushi introduces unconscious Shen Qiao to Bian Yanmei (ch 29)

- Yan Wushi: this is my husband, Shen Qiao, Shen Qiao: sect leader Yan, you need to stop call that lowly one your husband. we met yesterday

- chapter 34. just. chapter 34 (Zhan Ziqian is my second fav now)

- chapter 35, Yan Wushi pulling "was your name on it???" as an argument for stealing

- chapter 44, Yan Wushi asking Shen Qiao if they could be friemds

- chapter 46, abbot saying that Shen Qiao finally lost his mind

- chapter 49, Ruan Hailou suicide speech (+thinking about their next incarnations ok)

- chapter 50, Shen Qiao's epic entrance

- chapter 55, Dou Yanshan laughing his ass off bc Shen Qiao put “Yan Wushi” and “greater good” in one sentence

- chapter 55, Guang Lingsan pulling “u manwhore we're not gay, we won't do anything for u” on Shen Qiao

- chapter 55, Guang Lingsan has a sword hidden in his cither!! he tossed a cither and took the sword from inside of it!!! how cool is that!!!!

- chapter 55, Dou Yanshan's “Sayonara weeboos!”. yes chapter 55 IS a work of art

- chapter 58, Yu Ai finally understanding that he lost Shen Qiao forever and there's no going back, saying “Good, good, good...”

- chapter 67, Yan Wushi asked about his traveling goal responds “I'm following you [Shen Qiao]" CUTE

- chapter 70, Yan Wushi in drag refusing to leave the restaurant without Shen Qiao

- chapter 75, Yan Wushi making dinner for Shen Qiao, this is so cute, I fucking can't, the whole chapter is so wholesome, I love it

- chapters 79-80, Shen Qiao crying because Yan Wushi decided to save him and trying to run after him,

- chapter 84, Murong Qin saying “If your dao had any use whatsoever, why hasn’t that wonderful man you love so much shown himself yet?” to Shen Qiao and Shen Qiao not denying anything,

- and generally the fight with Murong Qin, it's so beautifully described...

- chapter 84, describing Yan Ying as “he was an expert at risking his life on the battlefield” (and generally Yan Ying I love that man gender neutral, he wants to die for someone SO BADLY)

- chapter 85, Yan Shou scared as fuck

- chapter 85, Shen Qiao vs Chen Gong & Baoyun would look AMAZING in animation

- chapter 86, Shen Qiao saying he's Shan Qiaozi... giving Finrod vibes. Sweetheart, you're not best in disguises are you,

- chapter 90, Yan Wushi's internal monologue about Shen Qiao

- chapter 94, Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao's spoon fight,

- chapter 94, Shen Qiao finally loosing it,

- chapter 97, “This venerable one's weakness now is you!”... what a way to confess...

- chapter 101, Gu Hengbo has major lesbian vibes oh my god

- chapter 102, OH MY GOD YU SHENGYAN IS BACK

- chapter 103, Yuan Xiuxiu standing on a flag, this is kinda cool and girlboss

- chapter 103, Yuan Xiuxiu dominated by ocean-like power of Shen Qiao

- chapter 106, Yan Wushi literally saying that Shen Qiao isn't like the other girls

- chapter 107, Yan Wushi confessing his love, saying that his heart is Shen Qiao's, talking about marriage and right after that being like "taki żarcik kosmonaucik" yeah sure thing bro

- chapter 110, “grandmasters were not cabbage” yeah can't argue with that

- chapter 110, Bian Yanmei genderfuckery and absolutely loving to dress and act like a woman, what a legend

- chapter 115, Yuan Ying... poor baby... how did they not notice that you were gone for a week...

- chapter 117, Yan Wushi fighting basically all the most powerful people in the world for Shen Qiao dkddskkd

- chapter 118, Shen Qiao waiting for the most dramatic moment to enter the elders' meeting lol + Bian Yanmei living for the applause

- chapter 120, Yu Ai's death, that was so damn sad how am I supposed to not cry??

- chapter 121, Shen Qiao and Bian Yanmei as besties so cute, exactly what I needed after that Yu Ai trauma

- aaand we're back with trama, this time it's Tan Yuanchun. Poor Shen Qiao, took him long enough to understand that he lives in an imperfect world, convoluted in thousands small matters that pile up to hatreage and cruelty

- chapter 122, Shen Qiao's “I know, but if I can’t see him, how can I be at peace?” T^T

- it might be one of my fav chapters, so causally wholesome

- chapter 123, how differently Shen Qiao treats Yan Wushi and Bai Rong. Yan Wushi is in the end the only person who can make Shen Qiao so explicitly emotional

- chapter 124, A SMALL DEAR A-QIAO THIS IS

NOT A DRILL IT'S A SMALL DEAR A-QIAO!!

- Yan Wushi saying "Thank you for returning my badness with kindness", my heart is melting

- chapter 126, Shen Qiao gambling. and unknowingly cheating. it is just. too percect. I love this novel

- this is just autism x ADHD and I'm living for this

- god their declaration of love being “thank you for returning my evilness with kindness” and “I would cry only if you died, not anyone else”

[anndramarama]

More mlc meta

Wrote this after reading this post where I thought OP was really insightful re why Li Lianhua let Di Feisheng join him, why he's still holding onto complicated feelings of betrayal etc. It got me thinking about their complex relationship and my response ... got long, so I'm putting it here:

I've thought about how in the first scene we see the fight, that crazy, passionate fight when we don't know a lot about either of them, and how it shows us that these guys are so good that this fight is going to absolutely WRECK everything around them, but because I didn't know how anything about how closely, if at all, the drama would follow the book, I didn't know what quite what to expect going in, AND THEN ... Di Feisheng stabs Li Xiangyi in the shoulder and shouts "I won!"

And of course Li Xiangyi is poisoned and feeling bitter betrayal and grief because he thinks Di Feisheng had Shan Gudao killed, and we see him surge up and fight back. Cheng Yi's expression at that point is amazing because he looks furious but also like he's about to burst into tears.

That was the point where I stopped and thought, oh, they're coming at this fight from different places, with different expectations.

Di Feisheng thinks Sigu Sect (Li Xiangyi) broke the peace they brokered after Shan Gudao's death, and at that point I think he already suspects that someone has framed his Alliance, but he's more than willing to fight Li Xiangyi when he shows up, and hopefully win and then figure out what the hell is going on.

But Li Xiangyi is grieving and he thinks he's been betrayed in the worst way by someone who is not only a match for him in terms of ability but also by this person he brokered a peace with, who he thought of as an honorable man, who he admired, and if the way they interact from their very first scene together is anything to go by, a person who he knows admires him in turn, who banters with Li Xiangyi because he likes him, who he thought of as an equal and a friend.

We know Li Xiangyi had a lot of admirers, and sect brothers and sisters who were his subordinates, but Qiao Wanmian was his only real friend, and their relationship was complicated by expectations and propriety.

So Di Feisheng's betrayal hurt like hell, and while Di Feisheng is dueling with Li Xiangyi in a battle to see who has the best martial arts, Li Xiangyi is fighting all out, looking to do damage to Di Feisheng and, I believe, to himself too. He's hurting. He's in a mad rage, and he's poisoned, and he's willing to kill and be killed.

They both almost die, etc., and each doesn't know quite what happened to the other, but their first thoughts when we catch up with them 10 years later are about each other.

Di Feisheng is grieving the loss of the person who was his match and Li Xiangyi is still haunted by Di Feisheng, still trying to find Shan Gudao's body. So that connection is alive for both of them, but what are the feelings there?

Before they met in person I would have called what Li Xiangyi was feeling toward Di Feisheng a grudge, too, but I think it's more complicated than that, because the way those first scenes played out gave me another "oh!" moment. The show defied my expectations again, and instead of a hint of the old rage, or coldness, Li Xiangyi recognizes Di Feisheng immediately and is pleased to see him.

Now, it's a complicated pleased -- and if you've read this far I thank you because I know I'm long-winded as hell but I promise to get to the point -- but he's pleased nonetheless, and I think we see a hint of relief, too, because now that Di Feisheng is back in the picture, Li Lianhua thinks he's closer to finding Shan Gudao's body.

The angst, the anger, the passion of friendship and betrayal, and all of those complicated feelings that might have been part of their relationship when it was put on hold by that last battle have been tempered by years apart and they fall right into a careful, playful back and forth, testing each other as Di Feisheng insists on a rematch, Li Lianhua refuses, and they start chasing each other.

It's playful, and they banter, but instead of a grudge I think the edgy undercurrent in Li Lianhua's first interactions with Di Feisheng is disappointment, or disappointed hurt. And when Di Feisheng finds out about Li Lianhua's condition he is similarly disappointed, e.g. You are not quite the person I thought you were, and if that faith has been broken, then who am I?

I thought it was delightful that the show gave us those nuances and let us see that there were other things at stake -- a history, a rapport, a relationship -- instead of just one guy fighting another from a rival sect to avenge a murder.

I'm only vaguely familiar with the concept of zhiji (知己) in wuxia but I believe it can cover a lot of ground and come in many permutations in terms of relationships between people, but if zhiji is the person who knows you, who challenges you, who sees your worth personally and on a spiritual level, then what happens if you break with them? Is it even possible to break with them?

The show seems to be telling us that no, it isn't, even if you cripple each other for a decade; even if you hurt each other, you're still zhiji and there must be some resolution, somewhere, to untangle the knotted threads in your heart, even if it takes a very long time.

You might go into seclusion for a decade but you still drink to your zhiji every lonely afternoon; you might escape your life, travel under an alias for ten years, but dream about your zhiji every night. So when you finally confront that person again there are a lot of complicated emotions involved, and even if you say you want to escape that relationship fate will still pull you back together, so why not enjoy the ride? Might as well keep him close; that's where he belongs.

I think the concept of zhiji applies to Li Lianhua and Di Feisheng's relationship as the most obvious example on the show, but it also does a good job of telling us how it's possible to have more than one person who gets us on a spiritual level.

Qiao Wanman was the zhiji of Li Xiangyi's youth, even if they didn't know or appreciate it at the time. The scenes where they came back together to resolve that relationship are possibly my favorite scenes in the show.

Li Xiangyi/Li Lianhua is the zhiji of Fang Duobing's childhood and young adulthood, and I love the silliness and the sweetness of that relationship, and that Fang Duobing got such a great resolution too, that he got to spend time with Li Lianhua and create a real connection with someone who before was only a starry-eyed memory.

Di Feisheng is the zhiji of Li Xiangyi's past, and of Li Lianhua's present. It's possibly the only zhiji pairing that can't be resolved within the narrative -- unless you think they really did find Li Lianhua, which I can't say that I do -- because Li Lianhua is Di Feisheng's only zhiji.

Qiao Wanman and Fang Duobing have other deep connections, but Di Feisheng doesn't, and probably won't because, "I have only one opponent in my life, that is Li Xiangyi. I have only one wish in my life, and that is to beat him."

Watch Shunyao's face in that scene: he might be framing everything in terms of martial conflict, but that's only because Di Feisheng doesn't have the language to express himself any other way. If he doesn't find Li Lianhua he'll continue searching, he has no choice.

It sucks, but it's beautiful too. The show delivers so much, which is why I tend to ship that pairing first, and imo why the OT3 with Xiaobao is so attractive.

[rebouks]

I'm using simblr gratitude day as an excuse to take a leaf outta @akitasimblr's book n' do a sunday faves/crushes style post to appreciate some of my fave blogs i scour for updates on the reg 👀 believe me, the list is 100x longer than this but it's 23:40 the night before cos i ran outta time and y'girl is tired AND stuck in the office tomorrow sdkjskdj...

@simlit - for the one of the most unique takes on a "bc" i've come across, with interactive polls and all! great character building too.. and impeccable screenies/worldbuilding 🤤

@lynzishell - for the cutest, realest characters i feel like i could be neighbours with, i bet i could barge in and join em for dinner and they prolly wouldn't mind 🤭 but also 'cause ur so sweet and supportive and ily <3

@citylighten - for a grittier story with complex characters, amazing shots and a dash of crime-.. oh and lots of hot, hairy men (not u, Ben) and strong women that tickle my pickle.. i need to see more Pietro soon or i may cease to exist skdsk

@rainymoodlet - for the hottest man tiddies on simblr and the most ridiculously ambitious bachelor challenge EVER, idk how ur keeping it together Shan but we love u for it and i can't wait to see who wins Dan's heart and the journey's all the lil pixels you've adopted have along the way ;-;

@akitasimblr - not only for the wealth of positivity you bring to simblr in general but your various gameplay/challenges that regularly liven my dash, and your unbridled love for my pixels too.. it's very special to me and so are you! 🤧

@zosa95 - for the queen of the cookies!! 🍪 and also because you created Edith, the legend.. and because Gemma & Markus are back and i love them as much as i love youuu.. your insightful comments (among some others in this list that may or may not result in a slightly chaotic comments section more often than not 👀) give me so much joy and so many of you make my day with ur support :')

@natolesims - i love ur approach to storytelling via the nsb challenge and the way you combine the silliness of the sims with the real emotions of the characters u create with it.. i always find myself checking in on Grey to see what he's been up to 🤭

@treason-and-plot - one of my faaave ts3 blogs, i'm obsessed with your characters and your writing! i'm forever on my toes waiting to see what happens next 👀 and the fact that u and those that follow/read along still have so much fun with ur story gives me so much hope that i'll still be here long after.. whatever the hell comes after ts4 😌

like i said.. there are so many of u i could list here so pls just know that ily all and could find a million and one amazing things to say abt you all if i only had the time! <33333

[unforth]

Hey Reddit Migration and New Twitugees, Love Danmei?

I heard there's a new Tumblr immigrant wave coming, so time to shout out the danmei art source blogs again!

Do you love danmei?

Do you love art - official art and fanart?

Do you want a dash covered in your favorite Chinese sword gays?

Well, have I got the blogs for you! I run six* side blogs dedicated solely to reblogging the amazing art that people make for these fandoms (with a splash of signal boosting fandom and multifandom events). If you want a dash full of shinies, you should absolutely check these out!

@mdzsartreblogs - for all your MDZS art love needs!

@tgcfartreblogs - ditto for TGCF (that's (tgcf)(art)(reblogs) not...what you're thinking, lmao)

@svsssartreblogs - SVSSS here to complete the MXTX trio!

@erhaartreblogs - deceptively named, as this Meatbun sideblog includes 2ha AND Yuwu!

@tykartreblogs - another deceptively named one, my only active priest-centric sideblog includes Tian Ya Ke, Qiye, and Shan He Ling/Word of Honor! Each conveniently tagged so you can focus on whichever one(s) you love best!

@cnovelartreblogs - the catch-all for everything else! cnovelartreblogs even includes baihe, m/f and gen titles (such as f/f by Please Don't Laugh and all works by priest!), and I also will sometimes reblog c-dramas that aren't novel adaptations (such as Couple of Mirrors). Titles by priest, Meng Xi Shi, Fei Tian Ye Xiang, Nanpai Sanshu, and Mu Su Li are especially well represented, but there's lots of stuff - basically anything I can find, as I have the time!

SO COME ON OVER AND GET YER ART! And don't forget to like, reblog, and comment to tell an artist today that you love them!

*it used to be 8 art sideblogs but my life has gotten crazy busy and I am no longer maintaining @zhenhunartreblogs and @dmbjartreblogs as separate blogs, and I am slowly, slowly reblogging the content once in those blogs to cnovelartreblogs. So, follow cnovelartreblogs for Guardian and DMBJ content!

Don't forget to reblog this to help spread the word!

[morrigan-sims]

Happy Simblr Gratitude Day!!

There's so many amazing people that I follow, and I know I can never name them all, so if you don't get mentioned on this list, PLEASE don't feel bad. I know for a fact that I'm going to miss some incredible people.

(under the cut for length)

@simlit - possibly the best "bachelor challenge" to ever exist. An incredible story with compelling characters, excellent writing, and stunning visuals. I binge-read all of COTS in one day, and whenever it updates, it's the highlight of my day.

@simgerale - Miranda is so incredibly talented. She makes the most beautiful sims, and her story Regal that just finished recently might just be my favorite story anyone has ever posted on tumblr. I've been following it since more or less day one. Also her legacy family is ADORABLE.

@softpine - the last of my top 3 stories on simblr. Everything Brandi writes is so incredibly detailed and filled with so much love. There is so much nuance and detail that goes into all of her posts, and all of her characters are delightfully complex. I binge-read the entirety of Camellia over two days, and it was a DELIGHTFUL experience.

@potionio - Omen makes some of the most amazing sims I've ever seen. Everything they make is GORGEOUS, from sims to builds to edits. Amazing alt fashion and spooky vibes all around. Also just an awesome friend.

@panicsimss - another amazing spooky simmer. Panic has gorgeous OCs, and I love everything she makes. Poppy and Hudson have my heart!!

@salemssimblr - Ash makes incredible renders, and is also just very kind. She's an awesome friend, and I'm so glad to have met them!!

@goldenwaves - Izzy is another incredible render-maker and editor. They also are the creator of some of the most fun and interesting dnd ocs I've ever had the pleasure of playing with and hearing about. Plus, her new story Heartbreakers is super awesome!!

@wileyfern - They post adorable gameplay, and their legacy family has been going strong for a long time now. Her current heir, Ocean, is super fun to follow!

@void-critters - Jay makes amazing edits and has some amazing dnd ocs that I love hearing about. They're also super kind and a great friend.

@warwickroyals - Ayanna's story is one of the only royal simblr stories I really follow very closely on here, and for good reason!! The level of nuance and commentary that goes into her story is very special. If you're going to follow a royal simblr, let it be this one!! Plus some very cool cc!!

@heartblobs - A very lovely historical simmer who just recently started a new decades challenge!! Ellie's current family is super cute, and I can't wait to see them grow!

@wildmelon - Lush makes some of the most gorgeous sims I've ever seen, as well as amazing edits!!! Also a critical role fan, which makes me happy.

@rebouks - Somnium very quickly became one of my favorite stories on simblr, and now Forever In Between is following in the foorsteps! Becca has adorable sims, and blends an excellent mix of gameplay and storytelling. She's also an INCREDIBLE pose maker.

@ghostputty - Ky makes INCREDIBLE edits, including those very famous eye edits. Also, their story, Deck of Fate, is fascinating, and I can't wait to read more!!

@raiiny-bay - Rai makes amazing renders, and their Monster Boys universe and lore is FASCINATING. I could read about the zombie boys for hours!

@arcanewonder - Sara's renders are on a whole 'nother level. Truly nothing compares. The fantasy vibes are immaculate! Plus, her simblreen treats from years past have saved my ass in decorating the castle for RTQ/ATQH.

@barbieaiden - Sam makes some of the most awesome renders I've ever seen, not to mention his stunning story and intriguing OCs. I love Sam and Aiden, am morbidly fascinated with Tristan and Kas, and am eagerly awaiting the day I get to hear about his pirate OCs.

@rainymoodlet - Shan's sims are all GORGEOUS, but Dan is truly the best of them all. Dan's bachelor challenge, KMIK, is amazing, and even though my boy may be out of the running, I'm very invested to see who ends up stealing Dan's heart.

@samssims - Sam is a pillar in this community. Her NSB family captured my heart right away, and her unique method of storytelling is so cool. Not to mention her poses, which are a must-have!

@laeska - Makes some of the best hairs in the community, and all totally free!! Her simblreen gifts this year were amazing, and I have all of her cc in my game.

@retro-plasma - Corn's sims are beautiful, and their gameplay posts are stunning! They truly have a talent for making things come alive!

@omgkayplays - A truly incredible simblr. Stunning builds, mindboggling edits, drop-dead-gorgeous sims, and a fascinating story are all reasons to give Kay a follow.

@seaslugsims - Their story is awesome, their cc is amazing and very useful, plus they're super kind and amazing!!!

@simandy - Ellen is literally the first simblr I followed, back when I joined this hellsite 5+ years ago. Her cc is amazing, and absolutely a must-have in my game.

I know I've missed people, but I think I've hit my limit on tagging people. Either that or tumblr's just throwing a fit at how long this post is. Either way, each and every person I follow deserves a spot on this list, so don't feel bad at all if I missed you!!! I follow over 400 people, all of whom are amazing.

[orangecharactersmackdown]

(sorry for the graphic-design-is-my-passion level editing)

6 brackets! 192 characters! 96 pairs enter, 1 character leaves! (Well, it's weeded down to 6 characters, then we have some semi finals, and THEN 1 character leaves!)

The voting will begin Wednesday, March 15. First, Round 1 of Bracket 1 will be posted, then the next day, Round 1 of Bracket 2, and the day after, Round 1 of Bracket 3, and so on and so forth. They will be under #orange poll. Propaganda (if anyone chooses to make any) is under #propaganda. Each of the polls will be up for 3 days, so each round of voting follows each other.

Under the cut is all the pairs and their respective brackets. Get ready to vote!

BRACKET 1

Garfield (Garfield) VS Applejack (MLP)

Hinata Shouyou (Haikyuu!!) VS Kel (Omori)

Broken Vessel (Hollow Knight) VS Claus (Mother 3)

Cole Brookstone (Ninjago) VS Skylor Chen (Ninjago)

Rory the Builder (Club Penguin) VS Orange Puffle (Club Penguin)

Emma (The Promised Neverland) VS Ava Ire (Ava's Demon)

Raihan (Pokemon) VS Misty (Pokemon)

Dexter Grif (Red vs Blue) VS Felix Gates (Red vs Blue)

Zenitsu (Demon Slayer) VS Nami (One Piece)

Stella of Solaria (Winx Club) VS Amber the Orange Fairy (Rainbow Magic)

Orange Inkling Girl (Splatoon) VS Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)

Ernie (Sesame Street) VS Pepe the King Prawn (The Muppets)

Jack (Candies 'n Curses) VS Jack Pumpkinhead (The Marvelous Land of Oz)

Tintin (The Adventures of Tintin) VS Toad (Frog & Toad are Friends)

Orange Blossom (Strawberry Shortcake) VS Jade Chan (Jackie Chan Adventures)

Leo Tsukinaga (Ensemble Stars) VS Ren Jinguji (Uta no Prince Sama)

BRACKET 2

Annoying Orange (Annoying Orange) VS Orange Side (Sanders Sides)

Davesprite (Homestuck) VS Tavros Nitram (Homestuck)

Merida (Brave) VS Scar (The Lion King)

Numbuh 4 (Code Name: Kids Next Door) VS Lazlo (Camp Lazlo)

Nemo (Finding Nemo) VS Marlin (Finding Nemo)

Sundrop (FNAF: Security Breach) VS Jack Kennedy (Day Shift at Freddy's)

Waai Fu (Arknights) VS Jodie Caldwell (Super Lesbian Animal RPG)

Shannon (OK-KO!) VS Penny Polendina (RWBY)

Panette (Fire Emblem: Engage) VS Pandreo (Fire Emblem: Engage)

Marine The Raccoon (Sonic franchise) VS Cream The Rabbit (Sonic franchise)

Kyo Sohma (Fruits Basket) VS Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Hagumi Kitazawa (BanG Dream!) VS Chika Takami (Love Live!)

Pump (Spooky Month) VS Pumpkin Pie Cookie (Cookie Run)

Scooter (The Muppets) VS Gobo Fraggle (Fraggle Rock)

Pukin (Magical Girl Raising Project) VS Top Speed (Magical Girl Raising Project)

Scootaloo (MLP) VS Sunburst (MLP)

BRACKET 3

Darwin Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball) VS Wander (Wander Over Yonder)

Winnie (Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School) VS August (Cryptid Crush)

Grillby (Undertale) VS Seam (Deltarune)

Phineas Flynn (Phineas & Ferb) VS Candace Flynn (Phineas & Ferb)

Calcifer (Howl's Moving Castle) VS Ponyo (Ponyo)

Juri Arisugawa (Revolutionary Girl Utena) VS Sailor Venus/Minako Aino (Sailor Moon)

Gordon Freeman (HLVRAI) VS Darnold (HLVRAI)

Morshu (LOZ: The Faces of Evil) VS King Harkinian (LOZ: The Faces of Evil)

Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender) VS Starfire (Teen Titans)

Hamtaro (Hamtaro) VS Heathcliff (Heathcliff)

Cure Soleil (Star Twinkle Precure) VS Cure Sunny (Smile Precure)

Zora Salazar (Epithet Erased) VS Arthur Kingsmen (Mystery Skulls)

Oz (Monster Prom) VS Ritsuka Fujimaru (Fate/Grand Order)

Mo Guan Shan (19 Days) VS Beebi (Wonderlab)

Orange Bird (Disney) VS Peacock (Skullgirls)

Olette (Kingdom Hearts 2) VS Gumi (Vocaloid)

BRACKET 4

Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto Shippuden) VS Narancia Ghigira (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Tigger (Winnie the Pooh) VS Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)

Leon Kuwata (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc) VS Hiyoko Saionji (Danganronpa: Goodbye Despair)

Puss in Boots (Shrek Universe) VS Firestar (Warrior Cats)

Torchic (Pokemon) VS Tepig (Pokemon)

Tangy (Animal Crossing) VS Orange Cookie (Cookie Run)

Gordon Freeman (Half Life) VS Chell (Portal)

Amanda O'Neill (Little Witch Academia) VS Lotte Jansson (Little Witch Academia)

Mothra (Mothra films) VS Timid Bookworm (Sky: Children of the Light)

Matt (Wii Sports) VS Daisy (Super Mario Bros)

Levy McGarden (Fairy Tail) VS Hazuki Fujiwara (Ojamajo Doremi)

Futaba Sakura (Persona 5) VS Yosuke Hanamura (Persona 4)

Tracy Reznik (Identity V) VS Andy (Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure)

Vee (The Owl House) VS Coran (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Yoimiya (Genshin Impact) VS Edna (Tales of Zestiria)

Rena Rouge (Miraculous Ladybug) VS Takao Kazunari (Kuroko no Basket)

BRACKET 5

Tails (Sonic 2, 1992) VS Handy (Happy Tree Friends)

Padparadscha (Steven Universe) VS Jasper (Steven Universe)

Opened Can of Well Cheers (Lobotomy Corporation) VS SCP-999 (SCP Foundation)

The Second Coming (Animator vs Animation) VS King Orange (Animator vs Animation)

Giraffe Furby VS Witch Furby

Chester Cheetah VS Tony the Tiger

Tsukasa Tenma (Project SEKAI) VS Tsukasa Ebisu (Revue Starlight: Relive)

Kuruto Ryuki (AI: The Somnium Files) VS Roman Torchwik (RWBY)

Son Goku (Dragon Ball) VS Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)

Velma Dinkley (Scooby-Doo) VS Fry (Futurama)

Saki Nikaido (Zombieland Saga) VS Toralei Stripe (Monster High)

Beelzebub (Obey Me!) VS Tohri Nishikikouji (Hatoful Boyfriend)

Gaius (Fire Emblem Awakening) VS Hershel Layton (Professor Layton)

Retsuko (Aggretsuko) VS Flame Princess (Adventure Time)

Kiri Koshiba (Beauty Pop) VS Sakura Chiyo (Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun)

Asano Gakushuu (Assassination Classroom) VS Akito Shinonome (Project SEKAI)

BRACKET 6

Mikey (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) VS Dirk Strider (Homestuck)

Troy Barnes (Community) VS Oluwande Boodhari (Our Flag Means Death)

Tigress (Kung Fu Panda) VS Tigress (Carmen Sandiego)

Kim Possible (Kim Possible) VS Tulip Olsen (infinity Train)

Waddle Dee (Kirby) VS Morpho Knight (Kirby)

Ace (Katamari Damacy) VS Shikao (Katamari Damacy)

Kim Possible (Kim Possible) VS Tulip Olsen (infinity Train)

Orange Juice (Inanimate Insanity) VS The Lorax (The Lorax)

Athena Cykes (Ace Attorney) VS Damon Gant (Ace Attorney)

Rio Ranger (Your Turn To Die) VS Gin Ibushi (Your Turn To Die)

Caleb Widogast (Critical Role) VS Neil Josten (All For The Game)

Tracer (Overwatch) VS Samus Aran (Metroid)

Portia (The Arcana) VS Navra (The Arcana)

Sphene (Houseki no Kuni) VS Zircon (Houseki no Kuni)

Penny (Big Top Burger) VS The Sorceress (He-Man)

Ahiru (Princess Tutu) VS Sara (Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch)

Kipper (Kipper the Dog) VS Ruff Ruffman (Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman)

[nightfayre]

(for @beautifulboysbeingbusy, who requested a drabble about guan shan’s mother and he tian. enjoy! <3)

———

There’s no doubt about it: He Tian is a bright, polite, and kind boy.

Mrs. Mo particularly enjoys the way he carries small talk. He’s attentive and responsive, neither too eager nor too formal. He has great posture and makes eye contact often. He asks about her work and offers to help set the table or put away dishes. He never lets the silence stretch too long, always filling it with insightful questions or amicable comments. Yes, from the few times she’s met him, Mrs. Mo can tell that He Tian is a courteous, respectful, and well-tempered boy.

It’s for those very same reasons, however, that she simply can’t understand Guan Shan’s taking to him.

“Auntie?”

She blinks. She’s standing near the table, looking at He Tian. He looks back at her, a cup of orange juice in his bandaged hand, clearly waiting for a response to a question she hadn’t heard.

“Oh,” she says, a bit embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, dear. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment. What did you say?”

“I was wondering if you made this yourself,” He Tian says, raising his cup. “It’s delicious.”

“Yes, I did,” she responds, smiling. She isn’t used to her cooking being complimented so often by anyone other than Guan Shan, but between last night’s soup and today’s breakfast, He Tian can’t seem to stop. “I used the juicer. Guan Shan always preferred juice fresh-squeezed, so I try to do it on special occasions.”

He Tian hums, raising the glass for another sip. “And is this a special occasion?”

Mrs. Mo pauses. Down the hall, she can hear the faucet running in Guan Shan’s bathroom. They have a few minutes at least. Setting down the bowl of rice she holds, she sits in the chair opposite of He Tian.

“In a strange way, yes, I think it is,” she says. “You know, you’re the only friend Guan Shan has had over before — much less spend the night.”

He Tian smiles. “Really? I’m surprised.”

Suddenly curious, she asks, “Are you?”

He shrugs. “Guan Shan has a following at school. I mean, it’s only two or three others, but I assumed he’d known them for a while before we met.”

“Oh.” She sits back, hands falling to her lap. A following? “I… didn’t know that. Guan Shan has never mentioned them.”

He Tian studies her for a moment. He must see something in her expression because eventually he puts his glass down, shifting in his chair.

“Between you and me,” he says, and she looks up, “I don’t think they’re very close. I’ve never seen them together outside of school, at least. But there are two others — Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi — who’ve really helped me bring him out of his shell the past few weeks. Maybe I’m optimistic, but I’d like to think he considers us friends.”

She chuckles. “Well, I’m sure it wasn’t easy to convince him.”

He Tian laughs too. “Absolutely not.” He smirks, adding, “Guan Shan is just about the biggest closed book I’ve ever seen.”

“His father is the same,” Mrs. Mo says, fond. “You have to take a hammer and chisel to those two to get anything out of them. Trust me — I’m still mastering the art. But, once you do…”

And for a moment she remembers the night before, when she turned to find Guan Shan tugging He Tian away from the dinner table in a rush. She’d almost called out to them if it weren’t for the split-second glance she caught of her son’s face. His jaw was set and his brows furrowed, but his eyes were bright and focused in a way that didn’t mirror the bruises scattered across his body. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen her son in a battered state, but it was the first time she’d ever seen him so indifferent to it, as if whatever urgency he held for He Tian overcame the unspoken resentment of his injuries. Somehow, she knew better than to interfere.

“There’s a lot to gain,” she finishes, a soft undertone to her words. “And a lot to learn, too. You just have to be adamant.”

“I think I’m starting to understand that.” There’s a pause, and then: “Your son is really an amazing person, you know.”

It brings an ache to her heart; a yearning tug full of love. She looks at He Tian and finds sincerity in his eyes, open and warm. And although she feels quite ridiculous for it, a quiet sting begins to build behind her own eyes, and she quickly blinks it away before reaching out to lay her hand over He Tian’s on the table. The bandaging feels rough against her palm, and although she still doesn’t know how the two boys ended up in such a state, she knows that whatever lies beneath their wrappings is the reason she’d been looking for; the reason behind Guan Shan’s taking to him. Whatever it is is enough for her, too. She gives him a featherlight squeeze before pulling back.

“He’ll never see himself that way,” she says, a touch of sadness tightening her throat. “His teachers and all the kids who pick on him have convinced him otherwise.”

He Tian shakes his head. “He’s hard working and good at heart,” he says. “It’s hard to find that in people these days.”

“I think he found it in you, dear.”

“I think he brought it out of me.”

She smiles. “All the better, then.”

Down the hall, a cabinet door thuds shut. It’s followed by shuffling and clanging, and Mrs. Mo knows her son’s routine well enough to know he’s almost done. Looking at He Tian, she offers one last sentiment.

“Always read between the lines with that boy. He’ll never say what he feels — he’ll show it.”

And if He Tian’s responding smile is anything to go off of, Mrs. Mo thinks her son already has.

[lurkingshan]

Hey Shan!!

So, while starting my exploring indian queer media project, I'm also currently working on catching upto several of the japanese qls I've missed out on in the past 3-4 months or so (a list you have indirectly heavily contributed to). But, I'm completely lost as to which shows I should start with, and I also don't have the time to watch them all. So, you're picking them for me instead!

Could you choose any 4 of the shows from your Japanese QL corner for me? I will watch what you tell me to, no further questions asked, I trust your judgement fully.

Thank you!!!

It would be my pleasure, bestie! Of the shows I've been tracking in JQL Corner since late January, here are the four I think are most worth watching (completed shows only):

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat. Run, do not walk! I'm not sure if you've seen season 1, but if not definitely start there. Don't be intimidated by the episode count, they are only 15 mins each, so the whole show across both seasons is only 7.5 hours. You can access the files here with excellent subtitles from @furritsubs.

Perfect Propose. A simple story about childhood friends who reunite while one of them is suffering intense burnout and exhaustion due to a toxic work environment. This one is a short and sweet six episodes and you can access it on Gaga.

Ossan's Love Returns. It's a sequel but you don't have to watch the earlier seasons, it gives you all the info you need to follow the story. This show is fucking hilarious, has an amazing cast, some interesting and thought-provoking storylines, and one of my favorite drama couples. You can watch it on Gaga or, preferably, using these files with much better subs from @isaksbestpillow.

Love is Better the Second Time Around. Another six episode shortie, this time a second chance romance between adults who meet again after a bad ending in their teen years. Great characters in this one and a more mature than usual approach to intimacy. You can watch it on Gaga.

[commander-krios]

R & R

Fandom: SWTOR Pairing: Archiban "Doc" Kimble/f!Jedi Knight, f!Jedi Knight & Theron Shan Rating: Teen Summary: Theron plans some elaborate gift for Katona after the capture of Darth Malgus, as a way to give his Commander and best friend a chance to relax. Somehow, he ropes Doc into it. Words: 4160 Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Friendship, SWTOR Summer Gift Exchange, Fluff, Humor, Love, Established Relationship, Banter, Teasing, Background Lana/Theron

Written as a gift for @sealeneee for the SWTOR Summer Gift Exchange <3

Read on AO3

Doc was a man of many talents, most of those being of the medical variety, but he knew what he was good at and made the best of what he wasn’t. He could field stitch a wound under heavy blaster fire. He cured diseases that most people gave up on. He saved civilians while pretending to be an Imperial and almost lost his head for it.

And despite all of the years they’d spent apart, Doc was somehow married to a Jedi.

Even now, when Katona was at the head of a neutral organization, working tirelessly to see her grand plans for the galaxy come to fruition, some nights spent at the desk in her room, pouring over datapads and flimsi like he had once upon a time, she still managed to squeak in time with him. And he was humbled by it. 

But ever since the reemergence of Malgus, ever the wily Sith, Katona’s time seemed less available and the free time she did have was spent in tense silence. There were nights he’d fall asleep alone, waking the next morning to find her side of the bed hadn’t been touched. It was almost starting to feel like before, when he thought she was dead. And he didn’t like the way it made him feel.

The medical bay was silent, Elara Dorne working through paperwork while Doc restocked their supplies. It was usually him and Elara there most days. Sometimes Tharan Cedrax would show to aid them, especially during the days when they had wellness checks or a recent battle with many injured. Unfortunately, those days were steadily increasing, thanks to Malgus.

With a sigh, he closed the cupboard, only noticing that they were no longer alone. Katona’s advisor was standing in the doorway, eyes squinting against the brightness of the room. 

Theron Shan. 

Elara noticed him nearly at the same time, pretty blue eyes widening at the sight of the former SIS turned double agent turned whatever the hell he was now. “Agent Shan, what can I do for you?”

Theron’s eyes glanced in Doc’s direction and he immediately had an unsettling feeling in his gut. Something had happened. 

Theron rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, turning back to Elara with a tense smile. “I need to speak to Doc, if that’s alright.”

Worry creased her brow, but she didn’t ask questions. Elara knew when it was needed and when it wasn’t. And at this moment, it was important for her to remember decorum. “Of course. Will I need to call in anyone to replace him for the day?”

Theron nodded, his mouth turning into a grim line. “That’d be best. Thank you, Elara.”

A few minutes later, Doc followed Theron out of the medbay, not exactly looking forward to whatever secret conversation was about to take place. There were many things they could be about, but the most likely reason was Katona. About his wife. That didn’t sit right with him, he’d barely spoken two words to Theron since he’d arrived, even knowing that Katona and Theron had a friendship that bordered on a sibling rivalry. He never fit into their dynamic.

And in truth, he never wanted to. Katona had found a friend to rely on, to confide in, much like Doc had Kira, Scourge, Nadia and the other Jedi for years on Ossus. He wasn’t going to ruin a friendship when that’s all it was. He couldn't help the jealousy he felt at knowing this man beside him had been beside Katona for well over six years: fighting by her side, protecting her, helping her build something amazing. Theron had even protected her from assassins by risking his own life when Doc couldn’t. He’ll forever be grateful for it.

But even now that they’d reunited, Theron saw more of Katona than he did.

“What happened?” He asked before the door had even hissed behind them.

Theron sighed, rubbing the spot near his implant, exhaustion creating dark circles under his eyes. Katona wasn’t the only one not sleeping it seemed. “Katona… is not well. She won’t admit it, but she can barely stand straight anymore, or keep her eyes open. I don’t think she’s slept in days, Doc.”

“The stress is going to kill her.” It wasn’t an overblown reaction, it was fact. If she didn’t relax, get some rest, or even do something that didn’t involve a life or death situation, she’d never be able to continue on. If the exhaustion didn’t kill her outright, it would get her killed on the battlefield. And Doc didn’t spend the last handful of years searching for her to lose her again.

“If an Imp doesn’t first.” Theron walked with him down into the military hanger, watching as soldiers prepped for deployment or spies raced to deliver their reports. Sometimes he couldn’t tell the difference between them, even with years working alongside them. “No matter what I say, she’s too stubborn to let someone else do the work.”

“That sounds like her.” Doc smiled despite himself, glad to see some things never changed. “If you have suggestions, I’m all ears. I haven’t seen her in days , at least.”

The cold sheets of their bed mocked him.

“I, uh, was thinking of setting something up.” Theron glanced at him with a sheepish smile, clearly embarrassed by his train of thoughts. “Like a fake mission. Something that she can’t say no to, but once she gets there, it’s something that forces her to chill out.”

Doc raised an eyebrow. “You know if she finds out it was a lie, she’ll probably kick your ass.”

“I’m not afraid of her.” Theron told him, rolling his eyes.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

Theron snorted, but Doc could see his hesitation. She sometimes still scared Doc and they slept together. Katona was… well, she was something else. “Listen, we can blame it on Lana. It’s something she would do, right? Lie to get the Commander to rest. Without Katona at her best, Lana can’t do her job.”

Doc chuckled, stopping at the end of the landing pad, eyes glancing out over the beautiful Odessen scenery. He always was struck with amazement at the things the galaxy held that were untouched by human hands. He hoped there was more out there to be discovered. Because he was never tired of seeing it. “You can try, but Lana might kill you first.”

Theron let out something close to a laugh, leaning against the crude wall built into the side of the mountain. “You may have a point. Thankfully, Lana likes me enough to not do that sort of thing.”

Doc’s mouth twitched with a grin, nodding the way they’d come from. “You’re sure of that?”

With a frown, Theron glanced at the entrance of the military hanger, cringing at the sight of the pretty blonde Sith Lord… who did not look pleased.

“Theron Shan!” She snapped at the sight of him, heading in their direction with determination and maybe a little bit of anger. Ok, a lot of anger. “ When were you going to tell me about this?”

Theron winced as if she’d slapped him. “Lana, I can explain."

“Really?” The datapad in her hands nearly cracked with the amount of pressure she squeezed it with. “Please, go on. Tell me why you thought renting a pleasure barge was an appropriate use of funds.”

Doc’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “You did what? ”

Theron sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s for Katona.”

Silence met their words, neither Doc nor Lana knowing where to even start with that .

“It-” Theron groaned, running his hands down his face. “It’s not going to be full of dancers or anything like that. The entire ship is set up for a fight simulation. To help train the Republic military during wartime.”

Lana stared at him in open suspicion, clearly not believing a single word out of his mouth. “Is that so?”

Theron grimaced. Oh so there was more. “There are also slot machines, gambling tables, a dance floor with good music. I think this one has a masseuse and swimming pool.”

“And you used Alliance funding for this?” She repeated, golden eyes nearly burning a hole through the man. Doc had to admit, Lana Beniko was terrifying, even for a Sith Lord. He’s just glad that he’s not the one who screwed up this time.

“Well, Katona is the Alliance Commander-”

“ Theron .”

With a quiet sigh, Doc knew this was why Theron had asked for his help in the first place. To smooth things over, to give the plan a little more viability in the eyes of Lana, and quite possibly Katona. Because neither were going to be happy about the deception, and Doc was well known for being able to make things a little less serious.

“While Theron probably should’ve ran it by you, Katona clearly needs a break. A way to blow off steam. We can work with this. Write it off as a training exercise.”

“That’s… not how this works.” Lana let out a breath, something that could be considered a sigh from anyone else. “ Fine . But when she finds out how much money went into this-”

“She won’t.” Theron assured her and Lana slanted her eyes at him.

“She will . And she will also know that it was you who spent it.” Lana smiled at him thinly. “I’m not the person who is going to cover for you when you screw up, no matter what our relationship might imply.”

Theron laughed nervously, looking at Doc for help. He only shrugged in response, not intending to get involved in that. Not when his own wife was going to be looking for blood later on.

~~~~

The shuttle lifted off a few hours later, Katona hovering behind Theron as he piloted it away from Odessen and in the direction of the pleasure barge where her simulated mission waited. A mission that she thought was a real one, with Imperials who had kidnapped a group of civilians from Dantooine. And Doc felt terrible for lying to her, but he was right about her stress levels. She needed to blow off some steam, get a relaxing massage, and do whatever else her heart desired.

He hated seeing her so worn out.

Those months during their hunt for the Emperor had been the first time Doc saw Katona crack under the pressure, the responsibilities. He didn’t want to ever see her like that again.

Once their heading was set, she moved farther back into the seating area, plopping down next to him with a groan. Stretching her legs out, she crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at him, hesitation in her gaze.

When he looked at her, he couldn’t help the smile spread across his own face despite the clear exhaustion that haunted her eyes. “What’s wrong, gorgeous? Never seen a man so handsome?”

“If I said no, would you start quoting poetry? You’ve already gotten me into bed, you know. And tied me down with that ridiculous wedding you concocted. You don’t need to try so hard anymore.” Her eyes still glowed slightly in the dim interior of the shuttle, but they softened as she watched him. 

He chuckled, feeling some relief at how relaxed she was. Even over eight years after meeting her, she still surprised him. “I’ll never stop wooing you, beautiful.”

Katona rolled her eyes, but he could see the beginnings of a real grin on her face. “And I’ll never stop making fun of you for it.”

Her hand slipped into his and squeezed slightly, her eyes on the window of the shuttle as they approached the barge. Doc felt a thrill of excitement in his gut. He wasn’t sure what her reaction was going to be when she found out that this was a setup, but he was so glad to have her here, with him , and to see that she was ready to kick ass. He never tired of seeing the fire in her eyes, or watching her on the battlefield. 

Or holding her close when all was calm in the galaxy.

“I’m glad you’re here, Doc.” She said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, the smile finally curling her full lips. “I miss this .”

He heard what she didn’t say. She missed him and damn it, he missed her so much it sometimes hurt. “You miss listening to me scream during a firefight?”

“Among the other times you scream.”

Theron coughed suddenly from the pilot seat and Doc smirked, enjoying watching Katona’s best friend squirm in his seat. 

“What’s wrong, Theron?” Katona asked, clearly enjoying his discomfort as well. “Lana doesn’t make you squeal?”

The flush went from his face probably all the way to the tips of his toes. “That’s… none of your business.”

“I guess that’s a yes.” She murmured, snorting before her gaze shifted back to his. “But really, it’s been lonely without you around. For the last few years, I’ve wondered where you were. If you were alive. It sucked not knowing. Not a feeling I care to have again.”

“Is that why you’ve thrown me in the medbay with Elara? To keep me safe?” He should be annoyed by that, but found that he didn’t care about the reasons if it meant that Katona always kept him in the back of her mind.

“That wasn’t my decision. Lana felt your work with Nadia and the Jedi was more important to continue than forcing you into a combat situation.”

“I’d follow you anywhere, beautiful. Even into the depths of hell. You know that.”

Katona rolled her eyes, but she didn’t let go of his hand, her smile never slipping from her face. It was a nice break, sitting here with his wife, even if they were going to be fighting a bunch of droids soon. He wished the galaxy would give them more moments like this, where they can be nothing but Katona and Doc. Where they didn’t need to save everyone all of the time.

“We’re landing. Get ready.” Theron called from the pilot’s seat, putting the shuttle into autopilot. 

Katona squeezed his hand before letting go. “Like old times?”

“Not quite.” Doc responded and with a grin, he met her curious gaze. “But it’s better. Because I’m with you.”

Katona wasn’t the type to blush, but he swore he saw a hint of pink on her cheeks. “Flattery gets you nowhere with me, Doc.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s true, gorgeous.”

She laughed and his heart squeezed at the sound. “You’re also a terrible liar.”

Shaking his head, he followed her to the exit, knowing that the playful banter was over. Katona had a mission to complete and she would see it through no matter what. Theron joined them a moment later, double checking his blasters. Doc grabbed his medical kit, securing it to his back even though he doubted they would need it. Not a single droid was going to stand up against Alliance Commander Katona.

His feet touched the metal grating as he jumped from their shuttle onto the barge, steps echoing as he pulled his own small blaster, eyes darting around the dark landing pad, seeing nothing but grey durasteel and a few shuttles. No people. No droids. No movement. Nothing.

“It’s too quiet.” Theron muttered, glancing in the opposite direction. 

Doc almost snorted, but managed to hold it in. An actor Theron Shan was not . “We have a Jedi here. I’m sure she’ll have no issue warning us-”

“Duck!” Katona shouted, pulling her lightsabers from their spots on her belt, igniting both simultaneously, the white crystals glowing eerily against the barge’s grey interior.

Doing as he was told, Doc huddled near a shuttle that wasn’t the Alliance’s, blaster fire aimed at him leaving burns in the hull. Katona threw herself into the fray with no regards to her safety, only intent on destroying her enemy. Her lightsabers slashed in a wide arc, severing the head from the closest droid in a shower of sparks. She spun, shoving one of the swords into the one beside it, leaving a burning hole in its middle.

Ducking another blaster bolt, he lifted his own weapon, firing on the droids that appeared out of a side door, aiming their shots at Katona. She turned again, deflecting the shots before jumping into the group of them, swinging her lightsaber in a circle and cutting them in half.

With as aggressively as Katona fought, the battle was over in a few minutes, nothing but sparks and smoking electronics left of their foes. The shuttles in the landing bay didn’t fare as well as Doc had hoped although their shuttle took the least amount of damage. Whoever was here partying was definitely going to need someone to repair the ships before they could leave.

Katona returned to his side, checking to make sure he wasn’t injured before doing the same for Theron. Once they were certain of their health, the men followed the Jedi into the hallway, door shutting behind them with a whoosh of finality. 

“Theron, did you have the schematics for this place?” Katona asked, eyes peering into the darkness ahead, voice quiet but determined.

“It’s built like any other pleasure barge. Uh, not that I know.” He finished quickly. Katona completely ignored him, holding her lightsaber out like a glowrod, trying to light her path. “The hallway leads to a few side rooms where guests can sleep, a medbay, a dining room, before it leads directly to the main area.”

“And the prisoners? Where would they be kept?”

Doc rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like someone or something was watching them. “Probably in slave cages. Those would be near the private dancing rooms. Off of the main section.”

She only glanced at him, not bothering to ask how he knew about the slave cages. Because she knew him… knew of his dangerous missions against the Empire. Knew that he was going to do anything to save people from being subjected to the evils of slavery and other awful tortures at the hands of the Sith.

And he always would, until they finally killed him. Because the people… they didn’t deserve to suffer.

“Ok, so we know where we’re going.” Katona said instead, turning away to continue on through the darkness. “Let’s go.”

They met several more waves of droids on their path, Katona making quick work of each of them. Theron threw Doc a glance at once point, concern etched on his features, eyes full of worry. This was too easy. Katona was going to suspect something was up if they didn’t have some type of challenge.

The waves of droids were supposed to get progressively more difficult the better you did in the simulation. It didn’t appear that it could keep up with Katona’s aggressive fighting style. Sooner than they wanted, they stood outside the large double doors that led to the main room of the pleasure barge.

Katona’s eyes trailed over him briefly, softening when she realized he was unharmed. “Be careful in there, both of you.”

“That I can do, Commander.” Theron replied, checking his blasters once more, ready to finish this.

Doc smiled at his wife, wrapping a hand around her wrist, thumb brushing gently against the skin there. “Let’s go, beautiful.”

The door opened, strobe lights hitting them in shades of green and gold, lighting up the inside of the room more so than the dim orange lights that hung overhead. A group of droids hung near one of the sabacc tables, no prisoners in sight. Thankfully, there was most likely no actual group of prisoners. Just droids and the people who ran the simulations.

A large droid approached, flanked by a few of the smaller droids they’d been fighting along the way. It didn’t attempt to talk, to negotiate, to do anything but lift the barrel of its weapon and fire. Theron rolled out of the way, ducking behind one of the slot machines near the entrance, a blaster bolt nearly hitting him.

Katona shifted in front of Doc, lightsaber deflecting the attacks as they backed up quickly. Doc crawled under a table, ripping the medpak from its spot on his back and keeping it ready to go. Then he fired at the smaller of the droids from his new cover, giving Katona the opening she needed to slice through the enemy.

He managed to hit it in the power coupling, frying its circuitry and it dropped into a pile on the ground, the droid behind stopping momentarily to deal with the new obstacle. Katona’s lightsaber left her hand, cutting the droid in half before launching herself at the largest of them, catching the saber in midair. 

The droid turned as she landed in front of it, ducking the moment it aimed its guns at her. Theron was keeping the other droids busy, his blasters doing considerable damage. Doc cursed, praying that the droid had its guns on stun, not kill, and tried to get a decent shot in.

None came, but it wasn’t needed. Katona spun on her heels, lightsabers leaving arcs of white light behind as she slashed the droid to pieces, a ferocity that was simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. A few seconds passed in silence, the droids sparking until they finally shut down with a groan. 

Theron left the safety of his cover at the same time as Doc, watching the droids for any sign of movement. Once they seemed to be in the clear, he turned just in time to see a group of men approaching, all wearing fine clothing and smiling brightly.

The man in the lead clapped his hands excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. “Dear Commander! I hope you enjoyed my simulation. I must admit, I didn’t expect you to breeze through it as easily as you did.”

“What?” She glanced at the man, who was even shorter than Doc, her eyes slanting in suspicion. Her gaze swept over him, taking in everything about him in seconds. “What are you talking about?”

“The simulation? Your friends contacted me about it a few weeks ago.” The man puffed himself up, gripping the front of his jacket, looking like he was about to burst from the size of his ego. “I hope you enjoyed yourself.”

“I…” She trailed off, unsure of how to respond, glare wavering. “Sure, it was great.”

The man smiled, although it seemed he was waiting for some kind of bowing and praise. “Well, I hope you enjoy our hospitality, Commander. There is much fun left to be had.”

When the men disappeared to finish prepping the “relaxation” portion of her gift, she glanced at them.

“This was a set up?” She asked, eyebrows lowering, a look of frustration on her face. “Why?”

“We thought you needed a break. Something to blow off steam before some relaxation. You deserve it. Everything with Malgus… it’s running you into the ground.” Theron rubbed the back of his neck, eyes nervously flickering between Katona and Doc. “Doc agrees.”

“I agreed that she needed a break, but I’m not the one who spent millions of credits setting this up.”

“And Lana? I assume she already threatened you within an inch of your life.”

Theron chuckled nervously, eyes dropping to his feet. “Yeah. But she thinks you need a rest too, Katona. You work too hard.”

“We’ve barely seen each other since I joined your Alliance. It might be selfish, but I missed you.” Doc lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her wrist. A smirk curled her lips. “Are you angry?”

She rolled her eyes, huffing a laugh. “You know when I’m angry. I can forgive you this one time.”

“It’s because of my charming good looks, isn’t it?” Doc teased Katona, following as she went to check out the food provided by the company. “You can admit that it’s a primary motivator for you.”

Katona snorted this time, glancing down at him with not quite affection, but something that still set his blood on fire. “You’re not the one who needs to worry.”

Her eyes sought out Theron as he picked through the spread, not even realizing they were talking about him now. When the spy glanced up, he saw that Katona and Doc were watching him. “What?”

Katona laughed, a single sharp bark that had Theron widening his eyes in fear. 

“Am I going to lose sleep over this?”

“Maybe. How much money have you put us out?”

Theron muttered something under his breath, turning his gaze away, knowing he was screwed. 

“That’s what I thought. Don’t worry, Theron. It’s not going to hurt that much.”

Katona’s best friend sighed and walked away, mumbling under his breath about Jedi and Sith and something that Doc couldn’t hear. Not that he cared when there was food to be eaten and a wife to spend time with.

[itsjaywalkers]

Hi Laurie<3

👀🤩📚💞 for the fic ask game if you please <3

hi loops darling <333

👀A fic that you love a normal amount

baby, all i wanna do is coast (with you) by @xjustakay <3 i'm soooo normal about this story, no sort of obsession whatsoever!! genuinely one of my fav fics, i adore everything about it and it has the best found family trope i've read in a while <3 + i love barty here.. as all of you guys already know.. bc i never shut up about it..

🤩A fic that made you SLAM that "subscribe" button

already answered this but i'm gonna reply again bc i have a lot of recs and i'm gonna say operation walburga's arbitrary no kissing ever rule by my beloved @courfee <3 honestly the premise and the fact that it's loosely based on an enjoltaire 10 things i hate about you fic would've been enough to get me to subscribe but the moment i started reading it i was blown away by fra's writing and his james' characterization is lovely (and that's saying a lot bc i'm picky about him since i'm a james girlie at my core)

📚A fic you wish you could display on your bookshelf

the mystery of the pears by my love @sonwar <333 that fic altered my brain chemistry and changed me as a person, it's still one of the best pieces of writing i've ever encountered in my life and rowan is literally one of my fav ppl in the world so <3 do yourselves a favour and READ IT

💞A fic that led you to making friends with the author

another one i've answered but i simply Do Not Care so i'm gonna say what's your favourite scary movie? by @grimjobs !! don't get me wrong we were friends since the moment we followed each other here BUT we started to talk/interact more after i read their fic and left a comment!! best decision ever bc they're an amazing writer and i love everything they come up with!! reading anything by shan is always a delight <333

fic rec game

[limetameta]

You know for a manga that boasts having so many badass female characters i can't help but need to add OCs to Metallic Crimson because all of the female characters fall into the following categories:

A) White Seeming Soldier Lady (Riza Hawkeye, Rebecca Catalina, Maria Ross, Sheska, Olivier Mira Armstrong, Briggs Doctor*) (*military doctor ergo here and not below- plus babe doesn't even have a name)

B) White Seeming Civillian Lady (Winry, Pinako, Sarah Rockbell, Armstrong sisters (3 of them and i can't recall if they ever speak), Mrs Armstrong (we don't have a name for her), Madame Christmas, Trisha Elric*, Gracia Hughes*) (*have these gals done anything except been there for their man or their sons I would hardly count them shonen badass but I am adding them because they are female characters and they play a part)

C) White Seeming Alchemist Lady (Izumi Curtis) (lmao i thought there'd be more but all of the other alchemists in the manga are men)

D) Not Human (Martel, Lust, Nina, Nina's mom)

E) Not Amestrian* (*Ishvalans are Amestrian) (Lan Fan, Mai, The panda (tbh i just now noticed i put the panda here and not in Not Human and it's so much funnier here)

The only ones who don't fall into this category are Shan (the ONLY female speaking ishvalan in the fmab anime - SHE APPEARS SO LITTLE AND IS FORGETTABLE THAT I HAD TO GOOGLE HER) and Paninya (a one-off character)

Oh but limeta! Amestris is supposed to be Europe, that's why they're all white -

My brother in christ, Raven and Paninya are RIGHT THERE

For its time, FMAB is an incredibly diverse story with amazing female characters, but i see people still boasting them for modern standards and it's like - but there aren't, there really aren't many badass female characters at all. and if I were to take a step further and remove all of the female characters whose sole motivation is enabling or helping a man succeed then I'd cut those characters up there even further. The only ones who are genuinely badass characters with their own clear cut motivation are Pinako Rockbell (suppose if she were younger, she'd be given a man to hype and do things for but thank god she's an old wise woman archtype and therefore immune to that trope), Sarah Rockbell (selflessly saving lives and being a doctor, though sorry queen you died) and Olivier Mira Armstrong (proactively fucking shit up and with a clear motivation what she wants - but then you can also infer that Mustang is a part of her motivation because she wants to fuck his chances up of being Fuhrer lmao)

Winry in brotherhood is very waifu, very not proactive, very I'll wait for you but she still gets shit done and so she's still badass because we all know that strength is differently expressed with different characters so she's still on this list, but compared to her 03 version she's very stay at home, very support role, very all i do i do for ed and al.

Riza Hawkeye... i love her. she's my favourite character. but remove roy from her motivation and what do you get...be honest...

Madame Christmas, for the only times she does appear, she does so because she's gotta help Roy.

Gracia is a housewife :) and we know nothing about her. She is an extension of Maes Hughes. She is there because if she weren't there we wouldn't have Elicia and if we didn't have Elicia we wouldn't have the scenes where Maes boasts and hypes his family up in order to solidify his characterisation as THAT CARING DUDE HOPE NOTHING BAD - OH NO THE WIFE GUY DIED.

Make no mistake! This is not anti fmab. I've written over 300k worth of content for this fandom and I adore every single frame of that show (especially the nina tucker spliced with her dog frame, chefs kiss) But it has forced me to have to create either backstories and motivation for most of these female characters that exist outside of the men in their lives or it has forced me to create OCs that don't fall within those aforementioned categories.

Would it have been so bad, I ask, if we got an Ishvalan character who was not a monk and not in the slums waiting to die? Maybe even a female character? Would it have been so bad that we got more speaking roles for women outside of the military who aren't alchemists? Would it have been bad if we got a female character who was a State Alchemist?

Most likely yes, because Arakawa had a clear view of what she needed in order to tell her story from start to finish, but I'm not confined to such limitations and I'll make Ishvalan characters who are proactive. I'll gladly add more characterisation to our prexisting anime babes because I love that I can. I am a worldbuilder first and foremost and I love making a world that's LIVED in and having such a sanitized character list from up there is really making me not feel like it's LIVED in.

Anyway calling fmab a show filled to the brim with badass female characters is ??? an outdated take.

[rainymoodlet]

≣ shan ≣ she/they ≣ 26 ≣ usa ≣

resources | answered asks | wcif tag

a bachelor challenge set in the beautiful mt. komorebi, we follow our bachelor daniel taylor (of "your dad's garage" fame!) as he traverses the ins and outs of finding his soulmate amongst the ranks of twenty-one sims!

read from beginning | read most recent | info page & dan's bio

read gen one from beginning | read gen two from beginning

following simelune's amazing challenge, we observe the lives of the krueger family - through dallas' rough beginnings, to their daughter ivory's successes, and onward into the brand new life of our gen three heir, rowan!

read most recent | info page | family tree

[jeysbvck]

hi shan!! can i request eddie munson + “have you ever thought about how much worse our lives would be without each other?” :))

a/n: thank you for requesting rish, i hope you enjoy!<3 thank you @chaseadrian for beta reading & all your wonderful advice <3<3

word count: 2.8k

warnings: slight mention of SA.

*****

You're lying on a red and black checked picnic blanket, staring up at the sky watching the clouds float by at a relatively quick pace, while your boyfriend, Eddie, strums on his guitar, a cigarette hanging lazily from his lips. These are the kind of days you love, being able to hang out with Eddie, without pretending, or hiding. Just you and him, in your spot. Your mind drifted with the clouds as you thought about life before your boyfriend, your life, so boring and mundane, only consisting of school, practice, matches, more practice, and pretending to have fun at parties that you had to be at. The wonderful life of the new cheerleader who had to prove herself to everyone. You loved cheerleading, you loved how good it made you feel, not to mention that you were fucking great at it. But it didn't matter that you were talented, it only mattered that you could keep up with your teammates socially, and so you soldiered on, for your mother more than anyone. You were close to your mom, and you wanted to make her proud, she'd put so much time and money into your talent, knowing how much you loved it.

You'd heard tales of The Freak, the way the basketball team spoke about him, you'd have thought he was some weirdo who sacrificed people to the devil. You rolled your eyes when they discussed how The Freak played the devil's game and listened to the devil's music, making a mental note to not show these guys your record collection, and you never once joined in with their mocking. How could you, when you didn't know the guy?

But then, one night after a late practice, you were crossing the parking lot to your car, gym bag heavy on your shoulder, books, and pom-poms bundled in your arms when you bumped into him in the parking lot. You sighed as your stuff tumbled to the floor and dropped the heavy bag, giving your shoulder rest while you collected your stuff. But then he dove to the floor and gathered everything up, pushing them back into your arms. "Sorry about that, I'm usually a lot more aware that a pretty girl is in front of me." He grinned, and you rolled your eyes. "I'm Eddie."

"Oh, I know who you are," You told him, with a slight pause as his eyes lit up, "I've heard the stories of the infamous, devilish Eddie Munson." You added with a smirk as you leaned down to grab your bag from the floor. Eddie beat you to it though, and he slung it over his shoulder with ease. "Ah, the stories didn't say you were such a gentleman."

"Gotta keep some mysteries to myself." He replied with a wink, as he followed you to your car.

After that, you seemed to see him everywhere, although he never spoke to you unless you were alone. You understood why, the way people spoke about Eddie broke your heart, and pretty soon, you were sneaking away from your friends to hang out in the back of Eddie's van for an hour during free periods and lunch, and making excuses as to why you couldn't hang out after practice and matches, meeting Eddie round the corner and being bundled into his van before anyone saw.

It truly was amazing how much better your life was now Eddie was in it. Nothing had changed really, but he had made you a more confident, assured person, and honestly, you could no longer imagine a life without Eddie, not that you'd ever want to.

You're pulled out of your thoughts and dropped back into reality by Eddie poking you in the cheek. "Did you fall asleep, love?"

You open one eye and turn your head towards him. "No, I was just thinking."

"What about?" He asks, placing his guitar carefully on the picnic blanket, making you the sole focus of his attention.

"Have you ever thought about how much worse our lives would be without each other?" You ask. Eddie grins at your question.

"Every day." He replies, and he chuckles as you sit up, leaning backward on your elbows as you smile.

"Really? Every day?"

Eddie laughs louder, it echoing through the trees of your secret spot. It wasn't so much a secret, it was pretty easily found, but nobody ever really came through here, as it was a little way off the trail. The little patch of slightly overgrown grass was surrounded by trees and the only path through was a little dirt one through some bushes. You'd found it by accident one day, when your dog decided to chase a squirrel and when you showed Eddie, you both decided it was the perfect spot, and you called it yours.

"Of course, are you kidding me?" He replies, leaning forward and planting a kiss on your forehead. "I've never met anyone like you, you're incredible, you know?"

You grin and roll over onto your side, to get a better look at your beautiful boyfriend, resting your chin on your hand, your elbow on the blanket. "Please, keep going."

Eddie lays next to you on his side, mirroring your position, and flashes you that drop-dead gorgeous smile. "Well...you're beautiful, you're sexy, you look great in that cheerleader uniform of yours..." Eddie wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and you laugh as you playfully shove him. He falls backward dramatically, holding his chest in the place you pushed before he rolls over until he's on top of you, enveloping your body with his, his arms on the blanket on either side of your head. "But you're also kind, you're wonderful, you have great taste in music - sometimes - and you're extremely talented! It's a crime that you're not head cheerleader yet!

His beautiful, dark eyes bore into yours as he spoke, and you smile at his words as you shake your head. His long curls tickle your face as he leans his head towards you, catching your mouth softly with his.

"You know," you mumble into his lips, "if anyone knew you were this cute, your reputation would be ruined."

Eddie grins and lifts his head up, the sunlight hitting you perfectly. "My reputation? What about yours, Miss Prom Queen?" He replies, tapping the tip of his your nose with his finger.

"I'm not gonna be prom queen, Eddie." You laugh and he shrugs.

"You should be. But that's not my point. If anyone found us, you'd be banished from the Cool Kids."

"Oh, my dear Eddie the Banished, we'd just be outcasts together."

Eddie sighs and pulls himself off you. You roll your eyes as he shakes his head and sits with his back to you. "You don't want to be an outcast."

"You think I care? I've been an outcast before and I survived that." You remind him.

"I just don't want you to be hurt again. And if it was because of me, I couldn't handle that." He tells you. His voice was soft, almost a whisper, like he didn't want to say it out loud, but in your small clearing, you heard him as if he'd shouted it.

You sit up on your knees and shuffle towards your boyfriend, who was hugging his knees, flicking the strings on his guitar. You snake your arms over his shoulders and rest your head on his.

"That was different. Besides, I don't need anyone else, Eddie. I have you."

Eddie takes your hands in his and presses his lips to your knuckles. He didn't know how he'd become so lucky, that he was able to call the prettiest girl in town, his. But with the way he was perceived, the looks he got from most people, and all the conspiracy theories and stories, that were practically lifted straight from films, that they had come up about him, he didn't want to drag you down with him. He was used to it, he could handle it, ignore it, especially now he had you, but he knew he couldn't handle people thinking those things about you. No matter what you said, he knew it would hurt you. Surely you could wait a couple more months, right? Then you'd both be out of this hellhole and everything would be perfect.

You knew from Eddie's silence, and the look on his face, that he was lost in thought. You wanted to shake him and tell him that he was being ridiculous. That you didn't care about your reputation, or the popular group, or even cheerleading. Your mother loves Eddie, if you were cast out because of Eddie, she'd understand, she'd probably be more proud of you. All you care about was Eddie, and all you want to do is scream from the rooftops that Eddie Munson is your guy.

Instead, you kiss his temple, his curls tickling your face, and say, "Hey, I'm hungry, can we go get a burger?"

Eddie perked up at the mention of food, and you unwrap yourself from him. As he stands up and swings his guitar over his shoulder, you fold the blanket up a few times and drop it into your backpack, along with your cassette player, tapes, and books. Eddie holds his hand out and pulls you up, before taking the backpack from your hands.

"Eddie, I can carry my own bag." You say, and he smiles.

"I know, love." He replies, but he doesn't give it back, instead, he hoists it onto his shoulder as he swings his guitar to his side, and sticks his tongue out at you.

On the way to the diner, Eddie's driving while you're singing your heart out to the awful song on the radio. He glances over at you every so often, captivated by you, and your innate ability to make him see the world in a completely different light than he did when he wasn't with you. Like now, the way you're singing along, tapping your hands against your thighs to the beat as you dance in your seat, throwing your head around, it's making him almost like the song. Almost.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, or so you thought, Eddie slams on the brakes, and you jut back against the seat, your head colliding with the headrest.

"Ow! Jesus Christ, Eddie, what the shit?!" You yell out, rubbing the back of your head. You glare at him, but he's glaring straight ahead, and when you follow his eye, you see the jocks and cheerleaders that you spent all your time outside of school avoiding. They were crowded around a couple of their cars, still wearing their basketball jerseys and cheerleader outfits, like a badge of honor.

No matter how much you love cheerleading, you hate being a cheerleader. You hate the stereotypes and the way everyone fell into those stereotypes. You hate that Eddie's right, that if they found out about your relationship, you'd be cast out. You hate, more than anything, hate that they're all so close-minded that they took one look at Eddie and brandished him a freak, never once getting to know him.

But they didn't deserve to know him. They didn't deserve the Eddie that you know, that everyone would know if they broke down his defenses, which were pretty fucking easily broken, all you had to do was flatter and flirt with him and he crumbled. You thought about your life now; how everything seemed great with your supportive family, wonderful, loving boyfriend, and although you didn’t like the basketball team, you did like your cheerleading squad, or at least, most of them. Then you thought about what it was like when you were an outcast, in what seemed like another life, and how hard everything was. How going to a party one normal Friday night had changed everything, and by the Monday morning, you had found yourself no friends, everyone afraid to be seen with the school pariah, how you cried yourself every weekend, knowing there was a party that everyone was invited to. Everyone but you. When you walked through the town, everyone would stare at you, whispering about you and what had happened, how you were taken to the bedroom, the pictures spreading like wildfire, not just around the school, but around town. Everyone had an opinion about you. Nobody spoke about the fact that you were the one taken advantage of, much less about how much you tried to resist. To them, it wasn’t his fault, it could never be. It was yours, and only yours. It was awful; so awful that your parents uprooted their lives for a fresh start in Hawkins, somewhere they hoped would give you the chance to write your own narrative.

But this was different. You wouldn’t be an outcast because of trauma, you’d be an outcast because of who you love. If you weren’t invited to a party, you wouldn’t be alone. You wouldn’t be spending your nights crying yourself to sleep, but curled up in your boyfriend's arms. If you become the school pariah, you still wouldn’t be alone, and you’d only have to deal with it for a few more months. Everyone would eventually get over your relationship, you weren’t the first people to have an apparently controversial relationship. Besides, something else would come along soon enough, to get the masses riled up. Didn’t it always happen? 

You look at Eddie, whose still staring at the group, his eyes full of pain and a little anger, and you couldn't take it any longer. If there was doubt in your mind, there wasn’t anymore. You had to show him how much you cared about him, you had to show Eddie Munson that he was worth it. Because he really fucking was.

"You know what, fuck this." You say as you unbuckle the seatbelt and grab the door handle. This gets Eddie's attention, and he whips his head in your direction as he grabs your hand.

"What are you doing?" He asks, and you hear the panic, the desperate pleas to not do this, but you ignore them.

"What I should've done a long time ago." You declare, and he knows there's no use in stopping you. You squeeze his hand before you open the van door, slamming it loudly, getting your school squads attention.

"Babe! What are you doing here?"

You roll your eyes at the gross nickname that one of the basketball players, you never bothered to remember their names, had given you. "Whoa, wait wait wait...is that? It is! Did you just get out The Freak's van?"

"Don't call him that!" You shout. "You know, yeah I did. In fact..." You walked to the driver's side of Eddie's van, and he rolls down the window.

"What are you doing?" Eddie whispers, his eyes flicking between you and the group staring.

You grab him by the black, Metallica t-shirt and pull him toward you, your lips crashing onto his. Eddie responds to the kiss instantly, his hand tangled up in your hair, the world fading away until it's just you and Eddie, exactly the way you want it to be. Your heart is pounding as the wave of relief washes over you, your relationship no longer a secret. You're the first to pull away, and you flash Eddie the biggest and brightest smile as he pouts, already missing your lips.

"What the fuck?"

You turn back to the group, your head tilted and eyebrow raised, waiting for their remarks and jeers. They stare at you, horrified that one of them just kissed Eddie Munson. They couldn't believe it.

"I'm sick of pretending I care about what you all think. Eddie is amazing, and you could only dream of being half the person he is. I am in love with Eddie Munson, and I don't care who knows it."

You turn on your heels, leaving the group with their jaws on the floor, and climb back into the van, slamming the door a second time. As the adreneline rushing through your veins wears off, the realisation hits you. You just said you love Eddie. For the first time.

You can feel Eddie staring at you, and you slowly turn your head, until his beautiful face was in your eyeline, flashing you the most beautiful grin you'd ever seen, his eyes full of devotion.

"Shut up." You mumble, your cheeks flushed pink, and you run your tongue over your very dry lips, making Eddie's eyes dart to the action.

"You love me." Eddie sings, and you roll your eyes.

"Oh my God, you're so immature." You giggle.

"And yet, you love me." He beams.

You groan loudly, and Eddie puts two fingers under your chin, turning your head to him as he puts his forehead against yours.

"I love you too, Princess." He whispers, before kissing you, passionately.

[painted-fanbird]

AYO THAT FIGHT WITH SHAN THOUGH??? And the following conversation with Kelsier??? Hands down my favorite part of the whole book thus far. That was so good!! I just,, uGh. Vin going slightly feral and fighting a whole trained Mistborn and winning?? Amazing. Show stopping. That’s my girl right there <3

Then her talking with Kelsier right after? Asking when he’s going to leave? That’s so good. So so good. Please don’t die Kelsier, Vin needs you

And the fact that copperclouds can be pierced and that Vin can do it??? You’re doing amazing sweetie <3 I knew Mare didn’t betray Kelsier

Just,, don’t mind me, I’ll just be rotating this around in my mind for a while lol

[meanbihexual]

May I Have This Dance?

Art by the amazing @birdy-the-artist

Valorum Ballroom, Senate Tower, Coruscant, 3637 BBY, one month after the defeat of the Revanites on Yavin IV

Theron slid two fingers under his collar and tugged on the starched fabric, hoping that this time—unlike his previous attempts over the past half hour—the gesture would actually loosen the garment’s grip on his throat.

“It doesn’t work,” came a gruff voice from beside him, and Theron turned to see Aric Jorgan approaching, clad in his dark blue dress uniform, an impressive array of medals glinting across the left side of jacket. “I’ve tried every time I’m forced into one of these events, and I always leave feeling like I’ve been strangled by a vine snake.”

Theron sighed and dropped his hand.

“The Director owes me one for not faking my death to get out of this,” he muttered, and Jorgan chuckled.

“At least you didn’t get carted off at the crack of dawn by Saresh’s team of ‘Couturier Impresarios.’”

“Her what?” Theron didn’t often consider himself clueless, but he had to admit that he hadn’t even the slightest idea what that jumble of syllables meant.

“Stylists, apparently, though they were offended when I called them that. Showed up at 0600 hours this morning, almost fainted when Phila, Dorne, and Qiy said they were planning on wearing their dress uniforms, and then practically carried them off the ship to get them ready for tonight,” Jorgan answered, and Theron couldn’t help but notice the flash of terror in the man’s eyes as he spoke.

He didn’t blame him in the slightest.

“Phila commed me around lunch,” Jorgan continued, “said all the women from Yavin were there getting glammed up, willing or not. Except Grandmaster Shan—I guess she got out of it somehow.”

“I guess there are some perks to being the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order,” Theron said. Then, after a brief pause: “I bet Safi hated that.”

“I’ll be hearing about the indignities for weeks, if it makes you feel any better,” Jorgan commiserated.

Theron nodded absently, craning his neck for a better view of the entrance to the ballroom. At the top of a small flight of stairs the double doors were thrown open, having already admitted the substantial crowd that now milled around the floor, waiting for the official start of the ball, but the hallway that stretched beyond them stood vacant.

“You’d think they’d be here already, if they’ve been getting ready for 12 hours,” he said, his hand rising to fidget with his collar once more.

Jorgan raised an eyebrow in a strange expression Theron wasn’t able to interpret before it dissolved with a shrug.

“Saresh probably wants them to make a grand entrance, after all the work she had her people do.”

An agreement was on Theron’s lips when a flurry of movement near the entrance caught his attention. He pushed his way to the front of the crowd, vaguely aware that Jorgan was following him, as the voice of the Senate Herald rang across the room.

“Jedi Master Safiya Adraiel, Hero of Tython, Battlemaster of the Jedi Order,” he announced in his smooth, cultured tones, pitched to perfectly cut through the ambient sounds of the people below.

Theron looked up and forgot how to breathe.

Safi stood at the top of the staircase, perched on her toes like she wasn’t sure if she was going to descend or turn and run. Midnight blue silk fell to her feet in soft folds, topped by an intricately beaded bodice that shimmered in the light of the chandeliers. Her arms were encased in sheer fabric of the same shade as the rest of the dress, with her shoulders and the skin above her decolletage left bare. She wore her usual mask, but her hair was pinned in an elaborate coiffure with just a few curls left down to frame her face.

Theron knew he was staring but was powerless to do anything else; in all honesty, he was surprised that his mouth wasn’t hanging open. He’d known she was beautiful, of course, had known it since the moment he first laid eyes on her, but tonight…tonight, she was magical.

“Oh, you’ve got it bad,” he heard Jorgan mutter, but he couldn’t spare any attention for the comment or what it might have meant.

He might never have managed another coherent thought if Safi hadn’t moved then, wrapping one arm across her middle in a gesture that he recognized from sleepless nights spent sharing secrets and confessing insecurities. In an instant Theron was in motion, striding forward and breaking through the front line of the staring crowd, eyes never leaving her face, hand outstretched toward her.

Safi smiled, the small, shy gesture lighting up her face in a way that made Theron’s heart race, and lifted her skirts daintily with one hand before starting down the stairway. When she reached the bottom, she laid her hand in Theron’s, her lips parting in delighted surprise when he brought her hand to his lips and ghosted a soft kiss across the back of her knuckles. Before she had time to respond, he had tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and begun to escort her back to his previous position next to Jorgan as the herald began announcing the next arrival.

“Thanks for rescuing me,” Safi murmured in a low voice as they made their way across the floor. “Jedi aren’t normally announced like it. It caught me off guard.”

“Anytime,” Theron choked out, his voice hoarse, as if he had forgotten how to use the muscles that made speech possible. Then, because he couldn’t say nothing, “You look amazing.”

“Thanks,” she said again, ducking her head slightly as a blush slowly rose to color her cheeks. “I feel a little out of place. I’m sure I’m nothing special compared to the people who attend these balls regularly.”

Theron stopped walking for a moment and used his free hand to tilt her chin up until he could see her face.

“You’re the most beautiful woman here tonight,” he whispered, his voice fierce and passionate despite its low volume.

Safi’s blush deepened, but her smile returned.

“I’ll let you have that one, but only because my wife isn’t here yet.” Jorgan’s voice made them both turn, and he inclined his head to Safi. “Master Safiya, it’s good to see you again.”

“And you, Captain Jorgan,” she responded warmly. “Phila should be announced soon, she was only a few places behind me.”

“That’s my cue, then,” he said, and with a brief nod of his head he started off in the direction of the entrance.

“You look very nice tonight, too,” Safi said, turning her attention back to Theron. She trailed her hand along the sleeve of his jacket, a formal affair in deep blue and gold that was remarkably similar in cut to his favorite red one. “I like the blue. We match.”

Theron was sure that this had not been left to chance—the jacket, along with the other pieces of his ensemble, had been delivered by courier that morning—but he only nodded in agreement. “Everyone will be jealous of our coordination when we dance.”

One eyebrow arched delicately above her mask.

“That’s quite a presumption you’re making, Agent Shan.” Her words rang with laughter, and Theron couldn’t suppress a grin when he answered.

“I could convince you, if you see any dark corners we can sneak away to…” He made a show of craning his neck to look around the ballroom as Safi giggled.

“Or you could just ask,” she remarked dryly, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the laughs that wound themselves around her words.

“There’s an idea,” Theron replied consideringly, as though Safi had said something brilliant rather than simply pointing out the obvious.

She shook her head, and Theron had the distinct suspicion that she was rolling her eyes behind her mask.

While they’d been speaking, the herald had announced the last of the guests, and now the opening strains of a Corellian Waltz floated from the orchestra at the far end of the room.

“Perfect timing.” Theron grinned and took Safi’s hand, executing a rather good imitation of one of the extravagant court bows used by Alderaanian nobility.

“May I have this dance?”

Safi’s smile shone like the stars when she answered.

“You may.”